Heart versus Destiny
by QueenofRhymes
Summary: Strange changes have been happening at Camelot lately. Merlin and Morgana are growing closer much to Arthur's chargin. Uther is paying less and less attention to his son and ward. A shady woman has made a few appearances and drawn everyone's attention, including Uther's. Just what is she planning? How will it affect the lives of our heroes? Will good and true love conquer?
1. Chapter 1

Merlin walked down the lone stone corridors of the castle aimlessly. He could care less if he bumped into someone or tripped over his own two feet like he was often prone to doing. A deep sigh escaped his lips and his brows furrowed even further. His head was a complete mess. His thoughts were in disarray. He had never been more confused in his entire life. He had never felt so lost, so bewildered, so alone… Tears formed in his eyes but he refused to let them show. Now was neither the time nor place for such demonstrations of vulnerability. He could cry his heart out once he was safe within the confines of his room away from merciless vultures that were just waiting to see him break.

Merlin was halfway through Gaius' chambers when it happened. A small lone tear trailed down his face and burned a path further down his throat until it disappeared under his neckerchief to do more damage to the porcelain skin that had already suffered far too much. Merlin could not believe it. He was Emrys for crying out loud! He was supposed to be King Arthur's protector! He was the strongest magician to ever walk this planet! He had the fate of Albion resting on his shoulders and his shoulders alone. No one else knew what burden he had been blessed to carry the day was born. No one understood how difficult and sometimes even unbearable it was to pretend to be someone you were not, to act as though you were a complete imbecile, a lesser being when you were more, so much more….

Apart from the pain he felt every day he was forced to lie to his friends about his true identity, there was also another problem – he had no one to turn to. Gaius was like the father he had never had but even he could do little to consol Merlin's pain when the warlock needed someone special to give him comfort, to understand him, to offer their equally burdened shoulder for Merlin to lean on, a creature of magic like the dragonlord himself. But no one in the castle was like him. Everyone were just humans who had hardly ever encountered magic, let alone been blessed with its tragic burden. Merlin knew he could always talk to Gwen but the issue itself right now was too much for the poor girl to handle. Plus, telling her about his secret would only lead to unneeded problems. And after all, the last thing the warlock would want was for Gwen to be forced to hide such a secret. It would be unfair both to her and to himself.

Merlin knew that he and Arthur had bonded over the past few weeks and they might have even become friends, but he could never even voice the word 'magic' to the prince without risking his head. That was the reason why going to Arthur for help was out of the question. Gaius was not an option either. His mother was too far away to offer any kind of comfort. Will was no longer amongst the living.

A bitter laugh resonated through the empty chambers. Merlin chuckled darkly. He could not believe that after all this time he still had no one to turn to. The only creature of magic was Kilgharrah but the dragon would never be able to fully understand. Then who? Who was a creature of magic living in the hart of Camelot? Who was blessed to carry the same burden, walk the same or at least a faintly similar path as Merlin? Who knew his pain? Who was afraid for the life? Who was forced to look behind their shoulder every time the words 'sorcerer', 'magic', 'warlock' or any of the like were mentioned? Who would fain give Merlin some of their time to just talk? No one… except…..Morgana!

Merlin's eyes widened. He shook his head as he whispered:

"No….I can't talk to her yet…" Merlin vigorously shook his head as he said more audibly this time, "No! I can't go to her and that's final!"

_Yet she does what it is like to be forced to hide your true identity for fear of losing your head. But she has only just recently discovered the truth about her powers and that is enough knowledge to be burdened with. I can't make the weight on her shoulders heavier and endanger her life by telling her my secret. I can't reveal that I have magic to her. I need to find another way to deal with the predicament I'm in right now. _

After much debate Merlin concluded that it would be best to just forget about everything and try to get some sleep. Perhaps the stress and tension would've abated by morning. Unfortunately, his mind refused to succumb to rest and kept Merlin awake for the better part of the night. The poor boy twisted and turned in his bed before he surrendered. He huffed as he forced his body to lie still for a few minutes as he processed his options. One of them was to just turn around and try to fall asleep, but the rational part of his brain was screaming at him that it was not a good idea so that was why the warlock fully dismissed it. Talking to someone was not right yet it sounded far too tempting. He could always patiently suffer until morning and try to talk to Gaius, though Merlin knew that that would accomplish nothing. He knew the physician would only listen to him intently, nod at the appropriate places, sympathise with him, but in the end all Merlin would receive would be a simple pat one the shoulder and/or smile and a reminder that the fate of all Albion rested on his shoulders and that if he complained more, he would certainly be late for his duties to the royal prat also known as Prince Arthur.

Merlin growled as he rubbed his temples. This would not do. He could not stay in bed any longer because if he did, the warlock was certain that he would become insane. Instead Merlin settled on a temporary solution. He could wait for another hour or so until dawn came and he could go for a walk. A small smile formed on his lips. An early walk through the forest during spring time was one of his favourite pastime activities and the fact that it almost always managed to soothe his pain and make him forget about his worries and even find solutions to his problems was just a wonderful bonus. Too bad he could not do it every day because of a particular dollop head and his ridiculous needs, Gaius' requests and, of course, how could Merlin forget about the main reason for the lack of time he had for his hobbies – the fact that he constantly had to be around the princess (as Gwaine had kindly nicknamed Arthur) because it seemed that the prince had a knack for getting himself into trouble.

The sun was soon up and Merlin found himself outside of the castle. He was walking hastily wishing to go as far away from the place that was now more a cage than a home to the warlock. After a good fifteen to thirty minutes of walking Merlin was halfway through the lower town when he noticed a familiar red cloak floating not too far away from him. Merlin rubbed his eyes, afraid that he might be dreaming. The warlock could not believe it. A few hours ago he had been pondering on how difficult yet rewarding it may be to confide in Morgana his biggest secret and here she was now.

A smile spread on Merlin's face as he picked up his pace and was soon right next to Morgana. The rational part of him was telling him to turn back or at the very best just greet her, make some stupid excuse as to why he was here this early and then return to his chambers, but the other, more emotional, more human part knew that he needed this. The latter was aware of Merlin's longing for contact with a creature of magic aside from the Great Dragon and as much as it pained the warlock to confess Morgana was probably the best option he had – they had become good friends and he had made a few hints that he knew what she was going through. Plus, she had made it quite clear of her desire to be friends with Merlin. Looking at it this way, talking to her did not seem as ridiculous, illogical and improper as it had previously had.

"Good morning My Lady." Merlin greeted as he slightly bowed his head. He might've been secretly hoping for something more, but deep down Merlin knew that the difference in stature was not something they could easily ignore. Thankfully there were not many, if not any, people around at such an early hour.

"Merlin!" Morgana gasped slightly as her steps faltered. She soon managed to recover and continued her pace. She smiled as she as well greeted Merlin.

"What brings you here?" She soon asked.

Merlin opened his mouth to offer a half believable lie when he noticed something. Morgana has bags under her eyes and signs of tear stains all over her face. It seemed she had been crying quite bitterly. But what could have triggered such a reaction? Perhaps the thought of having no control over her magic? But Merlin had not felt any signs of raw magic being released so then what could be bothering her? Merlin bit his lip as he could not help but in turn question in concern:

"I do not mean to intrude, My Lady, but…. has…. Is something bothering you?"

They were out of the city and were now safely hidden from people's eyes behind the protective branches of the forest. Morgana sighed as she chuckled bitterly before allowing her mask to slightly fall, showing a part of her vulnerable side to Merlin. The latter did not know why but he felt grateful that Morgana was entrusting him with such a rare scene. Perhaps she really did trust him.

"You could say that I have been having some nightmares." Morgana whispered shakily as she forced herself to look at Merlin.

Merlin's eyes widened at the pain and fear in Morgana's weary orbs. His jaw tightened. He wished there was something he could do to help. Unfortunately, he could not come to her aid for such a problem. He had had dreams before but it was quite a rare case and they were hardly ever prophetic. With a deep sigh he asked the only question a friend would utter.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Merlin enquired.

Morgana seemed hesitant at first but soon she nodded. With a deep sigh she iterated:

"It was quite vague, but I do remember seeing quite a gruesome scene play out before my eyes prominently."

Merlin nodded, urging her to continue. He did not know the cause of his next actions, but he could not help but feel that it was right. So that was why he followed his inner voice and reached out and squeezed Morgana's shoulder reassuringly. The latter looked up at his hand, slightly startled at first, making Merlin regret having done what he had done, but soon a warm smile graced Morgana's face and she continued, this time with a slightly stronger voice:

"It was a battle. I remember seeing blood, so much blood…."

She shuddered. Merlin reached out and grabbed her hand. Morgana allowed herself to squeeze it. She then held onto it until she recovered. She then inhaled and let go of Merlin's hand.

"There were far too many casualties. A lot of citizens died. Many knights sacrificed their lives in order to protect Camelot. I-I remember that there was fire. Then there was a fearsome roar that seemed to engulf absolutely everything within its reach. It sounded so terrifying, s-so threateningly, s-so malicious!"

Morgana abruptly came to a halt as he eyes started moving frantically as though she were searching for something. Merlin became worried once more and quickly acted before thinking. He wrapped his arm loosely around her before whispering:

"Then what happened?"

"I-I….I don't remember. After hearing that roar I woke up with a scream and….." Morgana explained as she held onto Merlin as though her life depended on it.

"And?" Merlin prompted.

"I can't." Morgana whispered as she shook her head.

Merlin frowned at her answer and slightly withdrew from her. His hands were now loosely hanging around his sides as he questioned:

"Why can't you?"

Morgana's eyes became slightly tearful as she turned away from Merlin and answered barely audibly:

"Because you will hate me."

"Now what gave you that idea?" Merlin asked. He then chanced his luck as he brought his hand up and brushed a few of Morgana's bangs away from her face. He then added, " Nothing you do can make me hate you Morgana."

Morgana's eyes widened slightly. She slowly turned her head around and looked directly into Melrin's eyes as she asked:

"Even if what I did involves the thing everyone here is afraid of?"

Merlin was taken aback at the coldness and intensity in her eyes. It seemed foreign and alien as though it did not belong there. In truth, it did not. It should not be there. Such a gaze had not right to even chance its luck and try to crawl onto Morgana's beautiful innocent face.

"Even if it means that you have used magic, Morgana, I can never hate you for something like that."

Morgana was startled. Her gaze betrayed her inner turmoil for a second but soon the cold mask returned. With a defiant gaze she walked slightly away from Merlin as she asked suspiciously:

"How do you know I can't control it?"

Merlin mentally cursed himself when Morgana narrowed her eyes. He could not believe he had slipped. He closed his eyes. There was no turning back now. But no…. he could not tell her now. She did not trust him fully… yet. But was this right? Should they be doing this? Should they be talking so familiarly with each other? They had bonded. They had become friends. They trusted each other but to what level did their belief in one another's sincerity go? Could they risk their fragile friendship and delve deeper into unknown and dark waters? Was it even worth it? One look in Morgana's eyes gave Merlin the answer he needed.

"It was just an assumption, a lucky guess you could say."

"Oh really? And how come you hit the bull's eye? For all you know I could've been secretly practicing magic all this time. Why do you trust me and not question the verity of my words?" Morgana questioned.

Merlin was left deadpanned. He could not reveal everything yet he could not back down now. He had come so far. All Morgana needed in order to trust him fully was a little push. One Merlin was willing to give.

"I know more about certain things that people give me credit for." Merlin vaguely explained.

"By certain things you mean magic and by certain people you mean Arthur I presume." Morgana replied with slight humor in her voice by the end of it.

Merlin was astonished at her good-natured response. He allowed himself a small snort as an answer. He then nodded and smiled. The latter disappeared when Morgana said:

"If you're done with your evasive replies, Merlin, I think I should get going."

"Wait. Aren't you curious as to why I know so much about magic?" Merlin asked. He mentally berated himself for speaking so freely and openly. He also ignored the pang of guilt and shame when Morgana flinched at the word 'magic'. Merlin could not believe she was still this scared. Perhaps she truly had lost control after waking up from her nightmare.

"I broke a vase…again." Morgana said, confusing Merlin slightly. The latter's eyebrows scrunched up slightly, but soon he managed to recover from his bewilderment. He understood what Morgana had meant.

"I have no wish to pry into your secrets, Merlin. If you wanted to tell me, you would've done so by now. Perhaps you do not trust me, but I gather that is not the issue. I am grateful for what you have done for me this far. I also want to thank you for what you did today. Not everyone would've been so patient with my outburst." Morgana explained as she smiled warmly at Merlin. She then extended her hand, meaning for Merlin to shake it, but fortunately the boy had misunderstood and instead had carefully taken it into his own and had kissed the tips of her fingers. Morgana blushed slightly at the contact and her eyes widened, but she soon managed to recover. Merlin had, fortunately, not noticed anything and Morgana was highly grateful for it. The two soon separated. Morgana went back to the castle and Merlin continued his walk, having made sure that she returned to the gates of the city unharmed first, of course.

_**The next day:**_

_To find out what happened please read the second chapter._

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**A/N: Reviews****?**** Favourites****? ****Follows****?**


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin sighed as he walked down the familiar path to Gaius' chambers. He rubbed his temples. His headache had abated slightly, but the pain was still grating on his nerves. The warlock could not believe he had been so close to telling Morgana about his powers. Had he gone mad? Merlin was certain he was starting to become insane what with all the responsibilities he had and the constant chores Arthur gave him. Merlin swore one of these days he was going to snap and a sword would be sent flying towards Arthur's head with one hundred percent accuracy.

Merlin soon reached the door that connected the hallway to Gaius' chambers. The warlock opened it and braced himself for the impending interrogation. Sometimes Merlin despised how perceptive he could be.

"Where on earth have you been?!" Gaius asked.

The inevitable question had been voiced. All Merlin could do was give an exasperated sigh and answer:

"Nowhere important."

"Oh really now?" Gaius questioned, obviously angry. He then continued, his tone changing to that of pure concern rather than fury, "How have you been feeling, Merlin?"

"Same as always." Merlin supplied as an answer. It was a badly conjured up lie, but Merlin was far too tired to come up with something more convincing than that.

Gaius gave him a disapproving look as he said:

"You do know that if something is bothering you, you can always come to me."

"I know that Gaius. And I am grateful for everything, really. I just….I feel that this is a problem I need to take care of by myself." Merlin explained looking directly into Gaius' eyes, trying to convince the man that what he was speaking now was the truth.

Gaius sighed before he replied:

"Alright." He then went on to address a different topic, "Now on to urgent matters, the Prince is looking for you."

_Oh, no! What does the prat want now__?_

"Are you listening to me, Merlin?" Gaius asked, drawing his ward's attention successfully.

"Yes. What does the **Prince** need me for? Perhaps to do some of the wonderful chores he has planned for me today?" Merlin enquired with a saccharine tone.

"Enough of that sarcasm, Merlin, this is no trivial matter." Gaius said.

Now this seemed to quiet Merlin's spiteful comments and completely attract his attention. After Gaius was certain that Merlin was listening intently, he continued:

"I believe you are already familiar with the King's current… courses of action against yesterday's mishaps."

Gaius' choice of words made Merlin's blood boil. Oh, he was familiar alright! He knew everything about yesterday's "mishaps" which had actually been a crisis and Uther's ludicrous decision. Yesterday Merlin had met a child. The girl could not have been older than ten. She had magic and Merlin immediately sensed it. She had got injured because the druid camp that had given her shelter had been attacked. She claimed there were not survivors. Merlin believed her. He helped her. He took her to Gaius. The latter said that it was not a severe cut but the girl would need to stay the night. Merlin had been ecstatic. That was until the girl had decided to venture out on her own in search for food. She had snuck out and had ended up going in the wrong direction. She stumbled upon the Prince and the King himself. The poor defenseless child had little to no control over her magic. Even the slightest fear or anger could trigger an undesired and inexplicable reaction. Unfortunately, Arthur's blade and the sight of the one who had persecuted and killed her loved ones had been too much. Her magic had been exposed. As a result she had been locked up and sentenced to death. The innocent child was burned at the stake for a crime it had not committed. And there was nothing Merlin could do. He could only watch as one of his own kind was screaming in pain, withering away faster than the fires were peeling and devouring the pristine flesh. There was nothing he could do to prevent it. He could only stand and witness the horrid scene. Again. He had failed. Again. He had not done what was right. Again. He had let Uther do as he pleased. Again. He had lost the fight against the King's tyranny. Again!

"Merlin. Merlin!" Gaius half yelled as he shook the poor boy awake.

Merlin shook his head. His eyes widened. He clenched and unclenched his fists. He then started pacing around. His frantic movements were starting to make Gaius nervous, who could do little to help the warlock. After a good fifteen minutes of constant pacing, Merlin stopped. He was now standing in front of a wooden table and was gripping its edge so fiercely that his knuckles were starting to become white.

"What is Uther planning?" Merlin asked as emotionlessly as he could. Gaius could not blame the boy for the way he was acting. His behaviour was to be expected given what had occurred the day before and the weeks prior. It seemed the persecutions of those who had magic had drastically risen and no matter how hard Merlin tried he could not save everyone, if any, from Uther's maniacal wrath.

"He has been informed of the whereabouts of a nearby druid camp." Gaius answered.

Merlin shut his eyes tight. He started pondering on the sole question neither he, nor Gaius had been able to solve these past few weeks. How did Uther receive such dangerously accurate information about matters that were supposed to remain a secret or be difficult, if not impossible, to unravel?

"Perhaps he has an ally." Merlin said out of the blue.

Gaius gaped at him before responding, bewilderment clearly palpable in his tone:

"Are you suggesting that there is a traitor amongst the druids?"

"No. I am not saying that there is necessarily someone currently occupying a druid camp that is selling out precious information. But perhaps it is someone who knows the secrets of the druids, someone who was or is currently involved with practices of the Old Religion or someone who can sense where the druids are…. I do not know. There are so many puzzle pieces that I do not even know where to begin." Merlin explained. He then sighed exasperatedly as he slumped in a nearby chair.

Gaius gave him a sympathetic look before he said:

"I suggest you stop thinking about it. Take some time to compose yourself and see what Arthur wants."

Merlin gave his father figure a sad smile before asking:

"I am never going to be able to save them all, will I?"

"I am afraid not. But please do not blame yourself Merlin. Even the strongest of us cannot save thousands of people against an army whilst keeping their secret buried."

"I can not warn them, can I?" Merlin questioned, as though he was searching for some hope in Gaius' answer, as though he was expecting it. The saddest and worst part was that both he and Gaius knew the truth, but Merlin still did not wish to accept it.

"I am afraid there is not enough time." Gaius answered. He then exited the chambers, leaving Merlin alone who was doing yet again what he had been secretly occupying his time with the past few days – punishing himself for sins and crimes he had not committed and actions he was neither responsible for, nor had the power to control.

**Later that day:**

_To find out what happened please read the next chapter. _

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**A/N: A huge thank you for all the wonderful reviews, follows and favourite! And the endless support, of course! I hope you enjoyed this and the previous chapter. **


	3. Chapter 3

"Ah, Merlin, there you are." Arthur exclaimed as he jogged towards his manservant. The Prince of Camelot had just finished an unexpected training session with the knights. It seemed that Uther had thought some of the youngest of them were not ready for the gruesome scenes they would no doubt face when they set out for the druid camp.

Merlin nodded his head. He then bowed down slightly, muttering the word 'sire', but it fell on deaf ears for Arthur was far too busy thinking about something, what exactly was going through the prat's head, however, Merlin had no clue.

"I was informed that you wanted to talk to me, sire."

"That's right. While I am away, I have some chores that need to be taken care of. You need to…."

"Wait." Merlin interrupted Arthur before he had a chance to start enunciating every last bit of dirty work Merlin no doubt would be smoldered with. The warlock asked incredulously, "You mean to tell me I won't be coming with you?"

Arthur stared blankly at Merlin as though the boy's absence during such an important quest would not be anything out of the ordinary or uncalled for. Merlin could not believe what his ears were hearing and his eyes were seeing. Before he could surrender to his anger, however, the warlock reached an interesting conclusion – not being forced to go with Arthur meant one thing – he could easily pretend to be busy doing the chores assigned to him, while in the meantime someone would accidentally go to the druid camp and warn them. Gaius did say that the chances of apprising the druids were slim to none, but Merlin had to try. He had no right to back down of such a challenge when the lives of so many were at stake.

With an unexpected beaming smile Merlin asked:

"Would that be all, sire?"

"No, and what are you grinning for?" Arthur enquired suspicion evident in his tone.

The warlock immediately composed himself and answered:

"It is nothing Sire. I am just glad that I will not be forced to mentor and protect you all day."

The humour was palpable in Merlin tone and managed to successfully gather Arthur's attention simultaneously making the prince forget about the suspiciousness of Merlin's odd behaviour. Arthur's reply was not a surprise.

"Oh really? You think that you are forced to protect and mentor me during out trips?" Arthur asked before continuing with a smug smirk, "I am afraid your imagination is playing tricks on you Merlin because if I remember correctly it was you that nearly got killed twice during out last two quests and it was me that was forced to save your sorry ass **again."**

Merlin was about to retort when Sir Leon came and managed to distract Arthur long enough for the warlock to make some excuse about having plenty of chores that would last him a lifetime to finish. Having excused himself, Merlin snuck away careful to avoid as many people as possible. He arrived at Gaius' chambers and started gathering enough supplies to last him the three day trip it would take him to reach and come back from the camp if everything went according to plan.

Merlin was ready after about an hour. He had found out by eavesdropping on one of the younger knights' conversations just after the training session had concluded that they were to set out tomorrow at dawn. That would give Merlin a good advance of twelve hours and he was going to use it to his advantage. The warlock waited for darkness to descend before he exited the chambers. He managed to avoid meeting Gaius for apparently some kind of disease had broken out and the physician was quite busy attending to everyone's needs. There were also a few potions that needed to be delivered including Morgana's sleeping draft.

Speaking of the sorceress, she happened to arrive just when Merlin was about to leave. Uther's ward had knocked on the door and before Merlin had a chance to hide everything the door had creaked open revealing none other than Morgana herself. She was paler than usual, a sure sign that she was afraid. But of what? Had Uther's current schemes affected her so greatly?

Before Merlin had a chance to say anything or ask her whether she was alright or question her reason for being here, Morgana said:

"I apologize for coming on such shot notice and for intruding like that. I was certain that no one would be here."

Merlin frowned slightly. Her voice shook slightly during the last few words. Something was terribly wrong. Something had happened, something horrid, terrifying, but what exactly was it? Unable to keep his curiosity at bay any longer Merlin asked:

"Is everything alright, Milady?"

Morgana's eyes widened slightly. She opened her mouth then closed it. Her eyes started moving around frantically as though they were searching for something. They landed on both doors twice, alerting Merlin of one precious piece of information – Morgana was indeed afraid, but what had shaken her so profoundly was not what had happened, it was the possibility of someone finding out that she knew it had occurred.

"No one is here. No one can or will hear us. Everyone is busy attending to their duties." Merlin tried to reassure her.

A sardonic smile made its way on to Morgana's face as she replied:

"Yes, of course. But I am afraid you are mistaken Merlin. No one is busying themselves with their regular activities. They are far too preoccupied with assisting Uther in his plans for causing more bloodshed and death."

Merlin's eyes widened. How could she have found out so easily? Arthur would not announce such a thing until tomorrow morning. Merlin had thought that no one besides himself, the knights that were assigned to go on this mission, Uther, Arthur and Gaius knew. Apparently he had been wrong. Morgana knew. And there was no telling what she would do.

"I am certain you know of his new strategy for the battle against magic." Morgana said with a face that was void of any emotion whatsoever. Only her bright green gaze betrayed her perfectly sculpted mask.

Merlin could only nod. He was afraid that if he were to try to speak, his voice would definitely raise awareness to the fear and anger that were currently burning him on the inside. Those two feelings were eating away every last bit of humanity Merlin had inside of him and would undoubtedly prevail one day.

Morgana's eyes fell on the bags that were scattered carelessly behind an empty table and chair. She narrowed her eyes. She then directed her gaze at Merlin. He met her suspicious and defiant irises with equally stoic and intense ones. After a few seconds realization dawned on Morgana and her eyes widened. A gasp escaped her red lips as she asked:

"Merlin, d-don't tell me….?"

She choked. Merlin's eyes widened and he was about to step forward and embrace her because he thought that she had started crying but refrained from doing so for she had looked up. There was no trace of tears on her face or eyes, only astonishment and fear. Merlin nodded his head, answering her unspoken question.

"But….but why?" Morgana questioned.

Her voice had nearly died again. Merlin closed his eyes as he sighed. He clenched and unclenched his fists. He could not believe what all of this along with everything else that had happened weeks before had affected Morgana. The warlock could not help but feel raw fury blaze his lungs and prevent him from breathing normally as Merlin realized that since Morgana found out about her magic and increase in the persecution of those who had the same or similar gift to hers, mainly the druids, she had never once smiled genuinely. It was a sight so rare that Merlin could swear it had never happened; that it had turned into a ghost; that the Morgana he saw now was nothing more than a mere frightened shadow of her true self and part of it was Uther's doing.

"Because it is the right thing to do." Merlin finally answered her question. He wanted to tell her about his other, truer, realer, stronger motives, but he did not have enough courage to do so. Now was not the time to tell her about his sad story and the tragedy that had befallen his family. Right now he had to convince her that everything would be alright. Then Merlin had to depart for time was precious and, unfortunately, as always, the warlock was running out of that irreplaceable substance of life as always.

"Can I come along?" Morgana asked.

Merlin was baffled by her question. He could not believe how fast her condition and expression had changed –from fear to courage, from apathy to resolution and will to fight for what was right and what she held dear. Merlin wanted to tell her no, he really did, but he knew that in a situation where the lives of hundreds were at stake, the warlock needed all the help he could get. Plus, trying to convince Morgana of the opposite of what she wished to do or believed in would prove pointless and a complete waste of time. That was the reason why with a heavy weight on his shoulders and pain in his heart Merlin nodded and before Morgana could leave, he took her by the forearm and said:

"You can come on one condition – you need to be absolutely careful that no one notices or recognizes you."

At first there was bewilderment on Morgana's face. But the cloud of confusion lasted only for a second of two. Once the shadow of doubt had been lifted, she nodded, fire burning in her eyes as did in Merlin's. Uther's ward soon exited Gaius' chambers and managed to prepare quite fast.

After about an hour Merlin and Morgana set out for the druid camp, protected by the veil of the darkness of the night, to prevent an inhuman act from occurring.

**The next day:**

_To find out what happens please read the next chapter. _

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. **

**A/N: I know that in the previous chapter Gaius told Merlin that there was not enough time, thinking that Arthur would drag Merlin along with him and that the knights would depart at noon or early evening. But there had been a change of plan and as a result Merlin had been given the freedom of not attending the quest and a few hours in advance compared to Arthur and his knights. **

_Just a little teaser:_

"Morgana watch out!" Merlin shouted before his eyes shined with blazing gold.


	4. Chapter 4

Merlin sighed as he looked at the path that lay before him. It was so dark he could barely see what was in front of him let alone continue riding. He tilted his head slightly forward and tried to focus on the path before him. With the help of his gift he managed to scan the surrounding are in radius of eight hundred meters and concluded with a satisfied smile that there was no one besides them. Being convinced that if they stopped to rest they would be out of harm's way, Merlin took a glance at Morgana. She appeared to be fine, though she was tired. The long travel seemed to finally be taking its toll on her as well. Merlin looked ahead. His gaze then went up. If he was right, they would be able to rest for a few hours and hopefully get some sleep.

Making his horse slow its pace down, Merlin allowed Morgana's to catch up. The woman looked up at him questioningly when they were next to each other. Merlin pointed towards a nearby tree as he said:

"I think this would be a good place to rest."

Morgana did not protest. As much as she was eager to reach their destination as fast as possible, she knew she would be of no use if she was too weary to even stand. That was the reason why she just nodded and continued for a little while longer until she reached the tree. She then slid down from the saddle and grabbed the horse's reigns, leading it towards the tree. Merlin mimicked her actions. Once he was certain that both horses were settled and would not escape unless freed with the help of someone else, he told Morgana he would go and collect firewood. The woman nodded. She then sat down and waited for Merlin.

Merlin was back soon. The boy knew that he had taken a great risk by leaving Morgana alone like that, but he had double checked the surrounding perimeter within a bigger radius this time and yet he had sensed no danger. He had also been keeping an eye on her and the surrounding areas while he had been collecting firewood and again there had been nothing harmful or suspicious or anything that would alert Merlin. The warlock lit the fire with the help of two sticks. He then went to feed the horses and give them water, dismissing Morgana's offer to do it herself. After a good half hour both of them had eaten and both were half asleep. Both had a lot of questions for each other, but given their current state of exhaustion, it was no surprise that pretty soon the witch and the warlock succumbed to their bodies' need for rest.

Morning soon came. The first rays of the sun woke Morgana. At first she had protested, but then she had remembered where she was and as a result abruptly jerked up.

"I see you're awake." Merlin said as he brought her breakfast. Morgana took the food and water gratefully. She eyed Merlin suspiciously as he sat down to eat his own breakfast. They were slightly falling behind, but if they increased their pace, they would be able to make up for the lost time.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Morgana asked suddenly.

Merlin looked at her confusedly. Morgana's response was an exasperated sigh and roll of her eyes. She then clarified:

"Why did you not wake me to take the second watch?"

Merlin nearly choked on his food. He could not believe she had noticed. Perhaps he had not been able to fool her as he had been hoping. Merlin sighed. Why did she have to be so perceptive?

"I thought you needed your rest." Merlin answered.

Morgana was furious. She could not believe Merlin thought she was this fragile and could not take the pressure of not being to sleep well for one damn night. But soon her rage disappeared when she realized something – Merlin had allowed her to come on this trip, knowing fully well that Uther might go ballistic( if he had been acting like himself lately, which was a rare, if not completely uncommon scene), if he found out. He had also left her alone last night and had gone to collect firewood, which meant that he trusted her to at least some degree. Speaking of the King, Morgana could not help but note the drastic change in his behaviour. Uhter had hardly spoken to her or Arthur during the past few weeks let alone dine with them or converse longer than a minute or two. In fact, one morning, not too long ago, he had not even greeted Morgana properly and had ignored Arthur when he had tried to discuss different tactics or ideas to strengthen the defense around Camelot's borders. Morgana did not understand what had triggered it, but she knew that whatever the reason was for Uther's lack of willingness to speak even to his own kin was probably responsible for his complete surrender to his form of insanity.

"Morgana, is everything alright?" Merlin asked suddenly, drawing Morgana's attention completely.

She sighed as she confessed:

"No, nothing is alright Merlin….absolutely nothing."

The last two words came out as mere whisper. They were almost inaudible. Merlin had to strain his ears in order to hear Morgana's full answer. The boy frowned at the brokenness and slight anger behind them. Those two words alone were laced with so much hopelessness, so much brokenness that Merlin could not take it. He wanted to embrace her, to wrap his arms securely around her and never let go. He wanted to take all that pain away. He wanted to bring back her smile and maybe even sometimes be the reason for it, though the latter sounded a bit selfish right now. But he could not. He knew he would never be able to offer her anything beyond friendship and companionship. He could not tell her his secret, not right now at least. He could not take such a risk. Plus, what would it change? She would still be scared. Her fears would still remain. Her problems would not be solved, only would have increased as a result. No, Merlin could not burden her further. That was the reason why he had to keep quiet and tell her as little as possible about his true self.

Merlin sighed internally. It seemed that he would be forced to hide his true identity from the one person that was near him and would be able to understand. Then….if Morgana and he were in the same situation, were facing the same demons, were fighting the same battles, and were scared for their lives and afraid of the same darkness that magic offered, why shouldn't he tell her?

"Merlin, what is wrong?" Morgana asked, meeting Merlin's gaze, concern written all over her beautiful face.

Merlin broke out of his stupor as he answered:

"N-nothing. Why do you ask?"

Morgana appeared doubtful at first, making Merlin berate himself for allowing such a stupid slip up. He could not believe he had stuttered and given himself away like that. Morgana would no doubt suspect that something was off, but fortunately for him, she appeared to be contemplating something else. Soon she opened her mouth as though she were about to say something, then seemed to reconsider and closed it. All she said was:

"I called your name three times and you didn't answer. I was starting worry. I see that there is nothing the matter or so you have claimed. I reckon it is high time we continued our journey. We would not want Arthur to arrive there before us and ruin everything, now would we?"

Merlin wanted to smile genuinely at the display of competitiveness between her and the clotpole, but now was not the time for such demonstrations of carefree attitude and lack of seriousness. The situation was dire and no matter how hard he tried, Merlin could not find it within himself to involve any form of humor into their conversation or enjoy it for that matter. That was the reason why all he offered as a response was a half smile and a nod. After they had finished packing, they left.

The next part of their trip went fairly uneventful and quiet. Soon, however, the silence became deafening. That was the reason why Merlin could not help but ask:

"Have you noticed anything unusual about the King's behaviour lately?"

Morgana nodded. She internally smiled triumphantly. It seemed she and Merlin had similar opinions on the matter, though she could not be completely certain until she asked. That was what she did.

"I have. Do you think that this strangeness has something to do with his peculiar choices and courses of action as of late?"

Merlin nodded before replying:

"Yes, I do, though I still don't know what caused it."

Morgana furrowed her eyebrows slightly. She seemed to me contemplating something. However, after some time a sigh of defeat escaped her lips before she responded:

"I am afraid I do not know what triggered it as well. Perhaps, it is not Uther's fault entirely. Maybe someone else is involved."

"Are you suggesting that someone is manipulating the King?" Merlin asked ludicrous before adding, "Not that I do not agree that there is some truth in your words or mean to be offensive, but come on? Arthur might be easy to fool, but you know that Uther is not his son."

Morgana smirked before replying:

"I do concede that Arthur is far too gullible and reckless at times, but you should give him more credit, Merlin."

"I do give him credit. So much that he is starting to become too big for his boots again." Merlin responded.

With a bigger smirk Morgana said:

"Do not worry Merlin. I will see to it that this issue is resolved **personally.**"

Merlin chuckled at the hidden threat in Morgana's words. It seemed that she, too, could not stand Arthur's inflated ego. The warlock's thoughts then drifted to the prince. Merlin could not help but feel slightly guilty for going behind Arthur's back for the umpteenth time. Although the boy knew what he was doing was for the greater good, he could not just ignore the pang of gall that settled in his stomach when he went back in time and thought of all the choices he had made. He had lied constantly in order to protect his secret. He had allowed many people to die only to defend what he thought was right, what he believed in. But would that prophecy come true? Or was it nothing but a myth? Had Merlin become so obsessed with it that he had allowed it to cloud his better judgment? The warlock was not certain how to decipher what was real from what was false. He did not even know the truth anymore. He had conjured up so many lies that in the end he had started to lose track of his own path. He did not even know who he was anymore. There were so many masks he was forced to wear every single damn day! And it was starting to become tiring, so, so very tiring. . .

"Merlin. Merlin!" Morgana half yelled. She managed to attract Merlin's attention when something unexpected happened. Out of nowhere a sea of arrows appeared. Those undoubtedly poisonous weapons were aiming straight for Morgana and without thinking Merlin screamed:

"Morgana watch out!"

Then his eyes blazed with gold, redirecting the arrows' path.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the parts of the plot that differ from the canon version. I make no profit out of writing this story. I am writing it merely for entertainment purposes. **

**A/N: Thank you everyone for the support. Words cannot describe how much it means to me. Just a heads up – normally the pace of my plots is slow so please do not expect something enormous to happen in just two chapters. **

_Another small teaser:_

"I am afraid I cannot promise you that. I am sorry."


	5. Chapter 5

A few bandits had come charging at them after the assault with the arrows. It seemed that around six of them had managed to escape on time and had been stupid enough to jump head first into a battle they were going to lose for certain. Merlin did not hesitate to use his magic, even though he knew he might murder or incapacitate some of them. It did not matter to him anymore. Those imbeciles had threatened the life of one of his friends and he would be damned if he let them get away with it.

After his eyes had turned gold for the second and perhaps last time that day Merlin sighed and turned around to face Morgana for the first time. His eyes widened. She was speechless, stunned. Nothing but fear and bewilderment could be seen in her eyes. Utter disbelief resonated throughout the hollow trees as she asked or rather whispered:

"M-Merlin….d-did you just…..did you just…did you just use magic?"

Merlin gaped at her. He honestly did not know what to say. He knew that denying the obvious would not only be considered an insult, it would also prove to be completely useless. Morgana was not blind. She was not stupid either. She possessed magic herself and knew what happened when a spell was cast. Merlin knew he could not fool her at all. Not after she had seen everything with her very eyes. But the part that worried him the most was not that she had found out. What frightened and concerned him was that he afraid yet grateful for he knew that he would not have the will or courage to outright tell her his secret.

"Morgana, I…." Merlin began but was interrupted when Morgana said:

"Don't. Just don't."

After that the fear in her eyes disappeared. Her expression hardened. Her jaw tightened. Her hands were clutching the reigns of her horse so desperately that her knuckles started turning white. Her green depths were burning. Even her shoulders were now shaking until she could not hold it in anymore. She screamed. Merlin flinched immediately and ducked to cover when the pure fury evoked the uncontrollable raw magic inside the witch. Her eyes blazed with gold and because of the force and lack of control over her imaginations Morgana did the unthinkable. She made a tree fall down and it landed not too far away from where Merlin was standing on his horse, of course.

The ground shook from the force of the impact. The noise was so terrifying that it frightened the poor creature greatly. It neighed and went up on its back limbs. The animal's body shook with so much fear that Merlin lost balance and control over it and ended up falling on his back. He hit the ground quite hard and gasped from the pain the collision with the solid earth caused. The sharp intake of breath triggered a sharp pain from a wound that had not healed yet. Merlin moaned. It was unbearable. The agony from the combination of the pain of said wound and the impact with the ground was something Merlin could not take. He clutched his eyes shut and forced himself to calm his irregular heart rate down but it proved to be quite difficult.

Morgana's eyes widened. She gave an involuntary gasp as she immediately dismounted her horse, not caring that it too was probably frightened and would no doubt run away the second it saw an opportunity, which it did soon after.

"Oh my God, Merlin!" Morgana yelled as she ran next to him. She stopped when she reached her fallen friend. The witch knelt down and asked:

"How much does it hurt?"

Merlin groaned but managed to whisper:

"Not unbearable….anymore."

Morgana's eyes widened at the pain those words were drowning in. She nearly choked as tears clouded her vision. However, she quickly shook her head and forced herself to calm down. She knew this was neither the time nor place for such displays of remorse and guilt. That was the reason why after inhaling and exhaling she said:

"Do you think you could move for a little while?"

Merlin nodded his head. That was indication enough that the injury was neither fatal nor would it jeopardize the mission. With in internal sigh Morgana helped Merlin get up and carried him to the base of a nearby tree. She helped him sit down.

Suddenly Merlin's head started spinning and his body tilted forward. Fortunately, Morgana was quick and caught his head before it hit the ground and acquired or worsened a possible concussion. After a second Morgana realized that Merlin had fallen asleep or had lost consciousness. Not caring what it was Uther's ward simply moved Merlin's head so that it now rested peacefully on her lap. She bit her lip as she contemplated their situation. Morgana knew that what they were doing was inappropriate but that concerned her only for a few more seconds. After some time she brushed it aside. There was another, more confusing thought that occupied her mind.

Anger was the first emotion that made her heart ring. It vibrated through her rib cage as he breathing became erratic. Pure rage and raw fire lit her lungs until Morgana thought she was suffocating. She clutched the dirt that surrounded her in desperate need to hold onto something, anything that would her placate her inner turmoil. After she had dealt with the predicament, she had been under, Morgana released a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes and allowed the melody of tranquility and peace to fill the vacant places inside her mind and heart and tend to the areas that had been destroyed by her uncontrollable fury.

_Merlin has magic. And he did not tell me. Was he even planning to__? __If this accident had not occurred, would he have had the courage to say it aloud__? __Or perhaps that would have never happened__? _

Morgana frowned. Confusion settled within her once more. She understood Merlin's reasons for hiding his secret from the others. She also knew how vulnerable and exposed you felt once your secret was out in the open even if it was to a creature of magic as well. Morgana did not blame Merlin for not telling her immediately. She was just angry that he had chosen such a precise moment to show her his capability.

Now came another question – was Merlin's showing her his gift really for the better? Or would it have been better if things had stayed the same? Had that even been an option? – Morgana's eyebrows furrowed as she replayed the recent events inside her head. After a few minutes she frowned as she concluded that there had been no other escape route. If Merlin had not used his magic, she would not doubt be dead or at the very least fatally wounded right now.

_But why Merlin__? __Why did you not tell me sooner__? __What was stopping you__? __Was there someone against me knowing or did you simply wish for it to remain a secret__? __Would the day come when you will feel completely safe around me, so much as to share such forbidden secrets__?_

Morgana soon started to develop a minor headache with all the twists and turns her mind was forced to endure. A grunt escaped her lips as she failed to reach a plausible explanation for Merlin's questionable behaviour. Soon she realized that no matter how hard she tried, no effort would be enough to piece together such a puzzle. That was the reason why she surrendered and allowed darkness to cover her watchful eyes for a short while.

When Morgana awoke, she realized with a start that dusk was nearing. Her eyes widened. She frantically searched around for any signs of someone having bypassed or nearing them. Her ears were alert for any change of sound or suspicious noise that was a dead give away of someone coming. After a moment and no change whatsoever in the current harmony in the forest Morgana allowed herself to relax. She sighed as she closed her eyes. Perhaps they still had enough time to reach the druid camp. Morgana remembered that Merlin had told her that it they were near moments before they had been attacked. With a heavy heart Morgana opened her eyes and stared down at Merlin. She could not help but feel mixed emotions when she looked at the boy. Inside her anger still remained, but it was subdued by mightier forces – guilt and shame. Embarrassment did not come near to what she was experiencing. Morgana could not help but be ashamed because of her actions. She had also had enough time to ponder not only on the recent events but on Merlin's personality and behaviour in general. She had gone through every ounce of conversation they had had and in the end did not want anything else aside from digging a hole and crawling inside of it.

_I cannot believe I did not notice it sooner. All those times he told me that he understood more than anyone. All those details he knew about magic. The way he helped me not only in the beginning, but after that as well. All of this and more are obvious clues. I should have reached the conclusion sooner! _

Do not misunderstand her. She had suspected it before, but had brushed the idea aside, dubbing it as ludicrous. She now felt angry and embarrassed for dismissing it so quickly and easily. Morgana made a mental note to never underestimate her enemy or anyone in general in such a stupid way.

Suddenly there was rustling of leaves as someone appeared out of nowhere. Morgana gasped and immediately turned around. Her eyes widened as she reached down for her sword when the man spoke.

"Fear not Lady Morgana. We bring you no harm." The man said as he brought his hands up in a sign of surrender and promise that he would do nothing to hurt her or Merlin.

"We?" Morgana questioned.

The man nodded as four other people appeared. They smiled at her as they stopped behind the man, forming the half of a spiral. Morgana's eyes searched their eyes frantically for any sign of deceit. After she had found none, she sighed in relief.

"May I take a look at your fallen friend?" The man asked.

Morgana hesitated at first, but nodded. With a smile the man walked towards them slowly and knelt down in front of Merlin. Morgana watched curiously and still slightly suspiciously as the man before her brought his hand up and with closed eyes whispered an incantation. Morgana was dubious at first and was about to question the man's motives when a shudder coursed through Merlin's body along with an audible gasp. After a second, however, the boy sighed and smiled peacefully, which caused Morgana to sigh as well, only hers was in relief.

"Is he going to be okay?" She asked hopefully.

"I am afraid I do not know Lady Morgana." The man spoke.

"But you just whispered a spell of some sorts and it seemed that it brought him some sort of relief." Morgana spluttered incoherently before sighing and whispering, "Can you tell me at least what it wrong with him?"

"I fear I cannot. It seems that some of the pressure inside of him is gone, but there is still something bothering him, whatever level it is on, however, I do not know." The man explained with pain and sympathy in his voice.

Morgana sighed and closed her eyes before whispering:

"Can you at least promise me that….that physically he will be alright?"

" I am afraid I cannot promise you that. I am sorry." The man answered before rising and going back to the others. He motioned for them to go and lift Merlin. Morgana did not protest, realizing just now that they were indeed the druids. Instead of standing in their way, she got up and went to walk alongside the man.

"We came here to warn you. Prince Arthur is…" Morgana began but was interrupted by the man as he said:

"coming here to invade our home. We already know everything Milady."

Morgana frowned slightly and then enquired:

"I do not mean to be disrespectful, but I cannot help but ask the reason for your remaining at a place where your lives are endangered."

The man smiled gravely before replying:

"Look at us Morgana. We are all nothing but old sorcerers who are patiently waiting for their time to come. It does not matter where we die, but how. And I am certain that we all prefer for our lives to not end in vain, but preferably by protecting our loved ones."

Morgana frowned for a second before she processed everything that had been said in between the lines. Her eyes widened as she whispered:

"You will be acting as a decoy. Your sole purpose will be to buy enough time for the women and children and hopefully the younger men to escape or at the very least have a chance of survival."

The man smiled and nodded approvingly. His expression then became solemn. His eyes were clouded with sheer animosity. Morgana's eyes widened. She was just about to reach for her sword when the man whispered barely audibly:

"I am afraid your path ends here."

Morgana registered hardly anything from the words that had been spoken to her before she was knocked out. Darkness swooped in and choked her confused mind so mercilessly that she actually welcomed its deadly embrace not with contempt, but with relief and hardly any resistance.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. Only the ideas that differ from the canon version are mine. And, no, unfortunately, there is no money made from this story. It was and is currently being written solely for entertainment purposes.**

**A huge thank you goes to **_**AN-to-the-G**_ **helping me out with the development of this chapter and hearing out my crazy ideas! Seriously, you're awesome. **

**A/N: Ha! Told myself I was going to have this up and completed by the end of Valentine's Day and guess what people****? ****It is only 23:501! Yessssss. I made it. **

**Ahem, now that I am back to normal I would like to thank everyone for reviewing, following and favouriting. Hah, someone said that my last teaser was awful. I know. I love you guys so much that I would gladly allow you to hate me for teasing you with such ambiguous words. Anyways, **

_here is your next teaser:_

"Merlin!" Morgana screamed as her eyes started searching around frantically trying desperately to assess the situation as fast as possible while still looking for her friend.

**Reviews****? ****Favourites****? ****Follows****?**


	6. Chapter 6

The night was cloudless and hallow like the trees surrounding the two sleeping figures on the ground. The moon illuminated their gaunt features as one of them subconsciously twitched. Their limbs were sprayed out in a form that would remind one of a star. However, there was something surrounding their bodies, forming a perfect circle or cage, if you must, around them. The ghastly pale colour of their skins contrasted beautifully with the sharpness and the edge the colour red of the rose petals around them was carrying.

Suddenly a loud cry of sorrow echoed throughout the woods as an unknown creature descended the clouds and landed swiftly on the ground. It then changed its shape from a serene angel to that of an old man who appeared to be the one who had knocked out Morgana a few hours prior.

Speaking of the witch, she was now lying in what had already been established as a red circle. That form together with the one her body was currently occupying created something horrid – a pentagram. Morgana soon stirred as the hooded figure approached her. Uther's ward awoke only to widen her eyes and scream. The man put his hands up in surrender as though he were mocking because Morgana's fear had triggered a sudden burst of energy to be directed towards the man only to be pushed back towards Morgana because of some sort of invisible shield the circle of rose petals no doubt was responsible for. As a result Morgana was pushed back into the ground. She groaned before opening her eyes once more. She rubbed her eyelids before reopening them. When her vision refocused on her surroundings her eyes widened. There was smoke and blood. Everywhere. There were corpses, people who were half dead, others were probably half alive, some she could not even figure out if they were still breathing. As her gaze moved around, her fear grew. And as the seconds passed, it soon became impossible to control.

"Merlin!" Morgana screamed as her eyes started searching around frantically trying to assess the situation while still looking for her friend. Soon she started to panic for she could not find him. Just as she was about to yell his name once again the man before her spoke:

"Have no fear Morgana. We mean you no harm."

Morgana's search was temporarily ceased as she fixed the man with a cold gaze before replying:

"Oh really? So you are telling me that all these precautions against my using magic and successfully finding my friend is nothing to be worried about? Moreover, the grounds around here are swarming in blood and death and you have the audacity to claim that all the smoke and all the corpses are just for show?!"

"I have claimed no such thing Morgana. I am simply doing what my mistress wishes." The man explained emotionlessly before continuing his walk. After he had made a few steps, however, Morgana called out to him.

"Who is this mistress you are speaking so fondly of? And what have you done to my friend?" She asked, half mocking the man, half threatening him by intensifying the coldness and sharpness in her voice.

The man's pace ceased to a halt before he span around and explained with eyes blazing with lunacy:

"She is the one who will change this world."

"By murdering innocent people?" Morgana asked incredulously.

The man's blissful smile immediately disappeared once he heard Morgana's disrespectful tone. Anger and rage replaced his previous insanity. The fury took control of the strings that were attached to his arms and brought them up. He used one of them to form a seal. After a few seconds due to the said seal a spell had been cast and Morgana started choking. He smirked. He continued his act before halting right when Morgana thought she was about to die. He then stepped towards her and whispered dangerously low, each word a warning laced with venom.

"That will teach not to speak so freely about my master."

"I thought she was your mistress, now she is you master." Morgana spoke breathlessly before continuing with an even tone, "If I am going to die here, I think I at least deserve to know exactly what my life will be exchanged for."

"You chose your words quite carefully and they are very accurate." The man said suspiciously, while narrowing his eyes.

With a small triumphant smirk Morgana responded:

"I am by no means a fool. This is not the first time I have seen a circle. Red is the colour of blood and my body was in the form of a star, undoubtedly forming a pentagram."

"You are perceptive, witch."

With a bigger grin Morgana continued:

"And you, my friend, are easily fooled."

The man's eyes widened. Before he even had a chance to utter or make even a single sound a spell was cast and he was sent flying backwards. Morgana watched as the body grew limp before her gaze was directed to whoever had just saved her. Right before her stood none other than Merlin. The boy quickly moved towards the circle and whispered an incantation. His eyes blazed a warm golden hue before the petals disappeared. He then staggered towards Morgana who exhaled.

"Are you hurt?" Merlin asked as he knelt before her to examine her injuries.

With a warm smile Morgana said:

"Nothing a little rest cannot heal." She then moved to embrace Merlin before whispering, "Thank you for saving me."

Merlin was taken aback at first, but soon recovered and returned the hug. He then whispered his answer:

"Anytime."

The warmth and care those words were fraught with made Morgana's smile grow. Before it could expand, however, Merlin withdrew, leaving the girl strangely disappointed. The boy rose and Morgana, albeit slightly confused, mirrored his actions. She looked around, while asking:

"What now?"

Merlin sighed as he answered:

"We go back to Camelot."

Morgana shot him a look with which she was silently questioning whether his mind was lucid. Merlin heaved an exasperated sigh before he explained:

"I took care of the rest and I will explain everything on our way back."

"But how are we even going to travel back to Camelot when we do not even know where we are?" Morgana asked confused.

"Do not worry about that. I know the way."

"How exactly Merlin because, in case you haven't noticed, we are still surrounded by thick layers of smoke?!" Morgana asked, raising her voice.

Merlin cringed slightly before answering:

"Magic."

"Magic?"

"Yes, I have what some people may call a sixth sense. My magic enhances my sense of direction and I can find my way back to Camelot or arrive anywhere in spite of the destination." Merlin explained thoroughly.

Morgana stared agape at Merlin before replying:

"Quite a useful gift you have there."

Merlin nodded before beginning his journey back to Camelot with Morgana in tow.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the ideas that have nothing to do with the canon version of the show Merlin. **

**A/N: Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. Hah, I am sorry for the long wait and the short chapter. It is just a filler and a bigger teaser for what is coming up next. Stay tuned guys and keep reviewing, following and favouriting. You have no idea how happy in makes me to wake up, open my email box and see that I have either or all of them. **

**Again thanks for the alerts and for adding this story to your favourites. I hope you liked this new installment. Watch out for the next update during the weekend. **

**Until next time, **

_~ QueenofRhymes ~ _


	7. Chapter 7

The sounds of a river's ferocious masses of water colliding with solid earth filled the air as the smokes faded only to turn into mist. Morgana cringed as her nostrils engulfed the humid air. She and Merlin had been traveling for quite some time now (around two hours) but they still had yet to make it through even one fifth of their way back to Camelot.

_Having two horses around would really be useful. _Morgana thought as she staggered towards Merlin and grabbed his arm. With a sigh she said:

"We need to talk."

Merlin sighed exasperatedly but complied. He halted his steps and looked Morgana directly in the eyes before he replied:

"I know that you probably are very confused and would like to ask me countless questions, but I don't think now will be the right time for such a thing. Can you please wait until we reach Camelot?"

Morgana frowned and looked at him suspiciously before asking:

"Why would you need to be at Camelot to speak of what happened to you during the time we were separated?"

Merlin seemed to be contemplating his answer before he responded:

"I will need to tell Gaius what happened and I might as well do it together with you in the room and not have to explain myself twice. Plus it is a long story and I can barely move my feet let alone commit to two activities at a time so could you please be patient?"

Morgana's eyes widened slightly as she processed the newly found information. Gaius knew about Merlin's having magic and he had not given it away all this time. Morgana had not even suspected that the physician knew, although if you thought about it, it would be quite logical that Gaius would have found out what Merlin was up to sooner or later. Figuring out that it would be best to wait it out and bide her time Morgana nodded and tried to quiet down her stubbornness which was screaming at her to not agree and continue to pester Merlin until he surrendered and either told her everything or used some sort of spell to shut her up.

"Do you happen to know where we are?"

Merlin shook his head before he replied:

"I can't see much further than around three hundred meters." He then frowned before he added, "Normally I would have vision of much farther territories."

"What are you saying?" Morgana asked before whispering, "Could the master they were speaking of have found us?"

Merlin smiled at Morgana's ludicrous ideas. There was no way someone of such stature would go after simple pray but he did not voice it aloud. He only looked at her and his small smile disappeared to open room for a grim expression:

"I think that the cause is less threatening."

Morgana looked at him skeptically before she realized that perhaps her suggestion was rather ridiculous. After all, if there was someone around here who wanted to harm them, they would have done so by now. That was the reason why Morgana decided to focus on what was before her and after much scrutiny she gasped:

"Your wounds are acting up again."

Merlin wanted to deny it, but he knew that such a course of action would prove to be futile for Morgana had already noticed everything. He could not hide it from her nor did he want to. That was the reason why with an internal sigh Merlin nodded. When Morgana moved to have a look Merlin quickly stepped away, causing the muscles around his wounds to stretch, thus triggering ounces of pain to make their way throughout Merlin's whole body. As a result he winced before he put his hands up slightly and whispered:

"I am fine."

Morgana looked at Merlin as though he were deranged. She could not believe how stubborn the boy was being. Could he not see that she was worried for him because his wounds were indeed serious? When Morgana remembered that she had caused one of them, she could not help but feel guilty for it, although then she had neither wanted it nor initiated it. Her magic had decided to do what it pleased and she had had no control whatsoever over it. With a heavy lump in her throat Morgana realized that she did not.

"You are anything but fine Merlin." Morgana said with sadness in her voice as she withdrew her hands and stepped away from him. She put her hands at her sides before whispering, "And neither am I."

Merlin frowned at the sorrow in Morgana's tone but before he had a chance to question Morgana's sudden change in behaviour the girl had sidestepped Merlin and had continued to walk forward in the direction they started in hours ago. Merlin sighed as he decided to let it go and ask her about her peculiar actions later when they were safe behind the walls of Camelot.

The journey back to their home was filled with silence and badly hidden sidelong glances. Neither one of them had spoken more than was necessary, both far too preoccupied with their thoughts. Eventually they arrived back safely to Camelot and each went their separate ways, not forgetting to arrange a meeting later in the night in Gaius' chambers where Merlin would tell both Morgana and his mentor what exactly had occurred at that place and what he had found out.

Merlin went back to Gaius' chambers only to find them empty. Merlin looked out the small window. It was quite dark outside, but Gaius was nowhere to be found. That meant that he had either had errands to take care of or there had been an emergency. Either way Merlin was certain that the physician would soon be back. Speaking of the devil, moments later the door creaked open to reveal none other than the physician in question himself. Gaius closed the door with a dull thud and turned around only to halt suddenly and gasp slightly. He had not been expecting to see Merlin right before his eyes covered in blood, ashes and mud.

"Where on earth have you been Merlin? I was worried sick." Gaius said.

Merlin smiled at the man before him. He then sighed and moved to embrace the physician. Gaius, albeit a bit confused and still angry at Merlin for disappearing so suddenly, returned the embrace. The two withdrew soon and immediately the atmosphere around them became stifling. Merlin started pacing around the chambers. His careless strides nearly made him fall down to the ground. It was obvious that the boy was quite worried and nervous. Whatever for, however, Gaius did not know. He decided to wait it out until Merlin gathered enough courage to tell him what had happened and what was bothering him. Unfortunately, time passed and passed, but Merlin had yet to get out of his unconscious pacing around the room. After another full minute of nervous strides from one end of the room to the other Gaius had had enough and screamed:

"Merlin!"

The sound of the physician's voice resonated throughout the room and brought Merlin back to earth. Once the boy had snapped out of his reverie he asked:

"What?"

"What is wrong Merlin? Did something happen to you at the druid camp?" Gaius asked.

Merlin sighed before he said:

"Something like that."

"Would you care to be more specific Merlin otherwise I fear I won't be able to assist you or help you in any way?" Gaius asked as he sat down and motioned for the boy to do the same.

Merlin nervously made his way towards the table. He sat down and could not stop fidgeting. After a few seconds he noticed that Gaius' patience was wearing thin. That was the reason why Merlin decided that the direct approach would be best.

"I told her." He blurted out.

"I am sorry, but I do not understand what you are trying to say Merlin. Again please be more specific and detailed in your answers."

Merlin sighed before he said:

"I told Morgana I had magic."

"What?!" Gaius exploded as he immediately rose from his seat and made a few aimless steps, his hands rubbing his temples, before he turned around and asked, "Have you lost your mind?"

"Maybe I have." Merlin answered as he sighed, while closing his eyes.

Gaius rolled his eyes at the answer. He then questioned:

"What made you think that revealing such a secret to her right before she went to visit her sick friend would be a good idea?"

It was Merlin's turn to frown. He did not know what Gaius was talking about. That was the reason why he asked:

"What do you mean she went to visit a friend?"

"That was what Gwen told me and everyone else who asked the reason for Morgana's sudden departure during the night. It appeared that no one had seen her leave, merely heard the sound of retreating horses. Some had seen two shadows exit Camelot in the dead of the night." Gaius explained with a calm expression but when his eyes met Merlin's slightly confused ones and he processed what he had just uttered he could not help but gasp.

"Don't tell me that you and she…" Gaius began but could not bring himself to voice his suspicions. However, he did not have to for the nod Merlin gave him was enough to confirm them.

"I did not exactly tell her. We were attacked and given the circumstances, I thought that using magic was the inevitable decision."

"Her life was in danger?" Gaius asked

"Yes." Merlin replied.

"And you were certain there no other way out of the situation?" Gaius enquired to which Merlin nodded.

With a deep sigh Gaius accepted the boy's answers and he was certain that if he gave himself some time to think about it, he would conclude that it was definitely the right choice. However, he still doubted it was for the better for both of them. It seemed that all Gaius could do was wait and see how all of this would unfold.

"I think you should go and change." Gaius said as he smiled at Merlin's surprised expression. The boy frowned at first, and then looked down only to be reminded of the state he was currently in. With a sheepish smile he nodded and went inside his room to dress into something more presentable. After all, he was expecting guests later. That reminded Merlin that he had another thing to say to Gaius.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Morgana's coming later to discuss what happened."

Gaius' eyes widened. Anger and confusion were written across his weary face but before the physician had a chance to retaliate Merlin had gone into his room and had closed the door behind him. With a deep sigh Gaius again had to quiet down his curiosity, rage and bewilderment and wait until everything was going to be cleared once and for all. Despite how many times he told himself that, he could not help but feel slight dread about what was going to be revealed hours later.

Just as Gaius had predicted, Morgana arrived two hours later. Gaius rose and bowed slightly in a form of greeting. Morgana nodded at both him and the newly arrived Merlin. After that they both sat down and after Morgana had cleared up what had happened to her Merlin began his side of the story.

"I woke up in a similar situation to Morgana's, however, there was no one to be seen. I only heard a voice speaking to me….

_Poisonous smoke bit the insides of Merlin's lugs as he gasped for breath. He awoke startled to a voice calling out to him. _

"_Emrys! Emrys! Emrys!" It screamed in a screeching and deadly to the ears high-pitched tone, making Merlin cringe. _

_He quickly rose and asked:_

"_Who are you__? __What have you done to me and my friend__? __Where is she__?__"_

_Merlin heard the voice cackle. The sound made the boy's blood run cold. After a few seconds an answer came:_

"_Do not worry, sorcerer. The witch will soon be sacrificed and you will join her as well not long after."_

"_Why are you doing this__?__" Merlin asked._

_There was silence before an answer came:_

"_It is quite simple. I am following one of the first principles engraved in every creature's mind be it magical or not."_

_Suddenly there was a loud thunder that resonated throughout and then the voice disappeared. Merlin found out the latter after much screaming to no avail. Instead a hooded figure emerged from the shadows of the smoky night. _

…. I think the man was sent to cast a spell with which he was going to sacrifice me, but I managed to escape. Of course, he was stupid enough to first gloat about his mistress' or master's I still don't know which one quite it is had done to you, how they had captured you and were about to torture you." Merlin finished explaining as he looked at Morgana

"But no such thing occurred. Or at least it did not thanks to you." Morgana replied as she smiled slightly in gratitude. Merlin mirrored her expression. The two gazed at each other for a while until Gaius cleared his throat, effectively gathering the attention of the both of them. He then asked:

"What do you suspect Merlin?"

Merlin's eyebrows furrowed before he answered:

"I think it was some sort of ritual to gather souls or energy for something bigger."

Morgana's eyes widened slightly before she whispered:

"They were planning to use our lives for their sinister plans."

Merlin nodded dejectedly before he continued:

"Either that or they just wanted to wipe out a dozen people for the fun of it."

"This is no laughing matter Merlin. I am afraid what they were going to do to you is far more complicated than you can imagine. From what you told me I suspect that these people have managed to earn some of the druids' trust. Either that or they have brainwashed them or managed to control their minds." Gaius said after berating Merlin.

"Speaking of the druids what happened when Arthur reached the camp?" Morgana asked the question Merlin had been planning on voicing.

"Nothing." Gaius simply answered.

"What do you mean nothing?" Merlin enquired.

"He never went. The quest for the druid camp was quickly turned into a search party for Morgana by Arthur's bidding but then Uther managed to convince Arthur that there was no need and with a little persuasion from Gwen the prince forgot about both matters immediately." Gaius answered.

"Wait. You mean to tell me that Arthur initiated the search party and Uther had to convince him otherwise?" Merlin enquired flabbergasted.

Gaius nodded. He then looked at both Morgana and Merlin who were shocked to their very core. He understood what they were going through. He, too, had been bewildered by the King's peculiar behaviour, but there was nothing he could. There nothing they could do either. That was the reason why with a heavy sigh he said:

"I think it is high time we called it a night and went to bed. There is nothing we can achieve with clouded visions and restless minds."

Morgana was about to protest when a badly suppressed yawn came from Merlin. Her concern gaze landed on the boy and did not leave his form until she replied:

"Gaius perhaps you are right." She then rose and went towards the door. Before she opened it she turned around and said, "Good night."

"Good night Milady." Gaius replied.

"Good night Morgana." Merlin responded.

Morgana smiled before their ways parted. Merlin and Gaius soon went to bed oblivious to the watchful eyes that had seen everything that had just occurred.

The walls near Gaius' chambers parted. A hooded figure came out only to disappear in the shadows of the corridors that led to none other than the King's chambers.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the characters and ideas that have nothing to do with BBC's show Merlin.**

**A/N: Thank you for the review, follows and favourites. **

**guardianofdragonlore: You will see what happens to them soon enough. I would not call anyone safe, if I were you. You don't know who or what might be lurking around in the shadows ready to strike at any given moment. And just to give you and everyone a heads up – No, I am not going to use Morgause as the villain in this fanfic. **

**I actually do not want to involve her at all. She is far too complicated for me and to be honest, I have something else planned entirely for this story that would not need her assistance. **

**Reviews****? ****Follows****?**** Favourites****?**


	8. Chapter 8

The guards before the King's chambers did not question her. She simply walked through the doors without sparing them a glance. Once she was safely inside she quickly discarded the cloak. Once she did that long brown curls cascaded down a lithe body that was now clad in a simple black dress. It clung to her small form creating an air of elegance and sophistication around her. The girl was beautiful with endless black depths she used for eyes and skin that was as pale and as pure as winter snow. She walked gracefully towards the wardrobe from which she fished out a black hat and put it on her head, successfully hiding the only thing that would ruin her plan completely.

Uther was sitting on his table. He did not react at all when she entered. He did not acknowledge the fact that this woman had just exposed her only imperfection. A thousand scrunched up pieces (some of which were documents, others were of maps, thirds were of complaints) cluttered the enormous piece of furniture. There was not a place on the table that was not in disarray. Uther had made sure of that. Once he was certain that he had not missed anything the frown on his face disappeared and a warm smile grew to replace it once his eyes fell on the woman's familiar form. He went towards her and was just about to embrace her when she withdrew with a polite smile.

'I think it is high time I left, Sire. People might start thinking ill of you, if you are to be seen with me during the day and the night,' she explained.

Uther sighed deeply as his smile vanished. His shoulders tensed once more as he made a few carefully calculated steps towards the girl. He tentatively raised his arms, slowly at first, as though he were dealing with a frightened cub, then his movements became more precise and less timid as he smiled, when the girl allowed him to embrace her. He rested his chin on her head, ignoring the hat completely.

'Listen to me, Lotus. Nothing and no one can make you feel unwanted or unwelcome. If such a thing occurs, come to me immediately and I will see to it that the cause for such unpleasant experiences on your behalf will be removed,' Uther replied as he tried to console the girl. He could not help but sigh once more and reminisce. He rarely received such an open acceptance from her but when he did only one thing registered in his mind – the wait was worth it.

The girl smirked at his choice of words. She memorised what Uther had said before her wicked expression turned into a somber one again. She withdrew from Uther and nodded. She then proceeded to retrieve her belongings. Uther made no move to stop her. After all, she needed time to adjust to her new life. Of course, she would not feel at ease when she spent every night with him. The girl needed her space and Uther was willing to give it to her so long as she came back in the morning and they could talk and perhaps even discuss their future plans for their battle against magic. That was the reason why all he did was smile sadly when the girl looked back at him with an equally dismal expression before she turned her back to him and exited the King's chambers, leaving them hollow and empty once more.

Uther sighed and allowed his expression to become grave again. He had hidden it well when she had come because he did not wish to disturb her with speculations. That was the reason why he had not told her about his suspicions that there was a traitor in their midst and that that person had had the audacity to escape and warn the druids. Uther had sent someone to scout the area around the camp and was furious when he had been told that it was deserted. Given the situation that was the logical conclusion. With a heavy heart Uther went to bed and decided not to look too deep into such matters so late at night. Plus, he needed Lotus' assistance and guidance when it came to such issues. After all, most of her ideas were quite helpful. She even managed to impress him with her strategically developed mind. It seemed that he had a reason to be proud to call her his daughter.

* * *

The sun shone brightly as the colours of the sky shifted from blazing red to warm orange, from fading purple to vivid shades of yellow until it settled on the one choice every human loves – bright blue. Speaking of true blue, there was a pair of eyes with an equally mesmerising shade that were now staring at an old man who was explaining something to him. From the boy's expression only one thing could be deciphered – boredom, which was only halfway concealed and it seemed that Merlin was not planning on hiding it completely. He even intended on showing his frustration further when the doors to their chambers creaked open and in came Gwen whose expression was anything but fine.

Her eyes were wide. Her lips were parted as they took much needed gulps of air. Her chest heaved up and down as it tried to catch up with her erratic heart rate. Her dress was slightly torn at the bottom and it showed a small expanse of skin that was covered in blood. There was no doubt that the wound was much deeper than the cut on the dress showed. Her hair was more uncontrollable than usual. It stuck out from its usual bun in strange angles. Her whole appearance suggested two things – 1) she had been running and 2) something unpleasant had happened to cause her such worry.

'Morgana, she-she….,' Gwen managed to whisper before her need for air kicked in again and outfought her desire to alert Merlin and Gaius of what had happened.

At the mention of Morgana's name Merlin immediately got up from his chair and rushed towards Gwen, ignoring Gaius' protests completely. He was just about to start interrogating the girl when Gaius spoke up, successfully intervening.

'I believe you have gone through something horrid Gwen. Perhaps you would like to sit down and drink some water and maybe then you would feel at ease to tell us about what happened.' Gaius said.

Gwen seemed hesitant at first, but soon her knees buckled and she would have hit the ground, had Merlin not caught her in time. He helped her walk towards the table and sit down, while Gaius went to fetch a glass of water. Soon Gwen was given what she needed the most. She gulped down the glass' contents. Merlin and Gaius were both surprised at the urgency and speed the glass was emptied. Despite their shock, soon they recovered. It seemed that Gwen was feeling slightly better and judging by the lack of rapid intakes of breath, she was ready to speak.

'We went for our usual morning walk, when we were attacked.' Gwen began. Just those words were enough to shock both Merlin and Gaius. The former resisted the urge to gasp, while the latter beckoned Gwen to continue, which she did, 'There were three masked men. They were all wearing these strange symbols on their arms and faces. It seemed that they had either tattooed their whole bodies or I don't know…. The point is they were anything but normal. I think they were…. They were….'

'Sorcerers?' Merlin said uncertainly as he implored Gwen to go on with her story.

Gwen nodded astonished at the accuracy of Merlin's guess. Despite her shock and fear, the girl continued.

'We were just about to run. I turned around but found myself trapped by two other men. They….they surrounded me. I looked at Morgana's direction and found her trapped as well. They started whispering words I could not understand and the symbols on their arms and faces lit up. From red they turned into icy blue. Their eyes glowed with that deadly colour as well. I heard Morgana scream before she collapsed. A circle appeared around her. The strange part was that it consisted of rose petals. I was just about to ask what they were going to do with us and what they could possibly accomplish when a similar circle appeared around me. I felt sharp pain and soon darkness blackened my vision. Suddenly everything started spinning. I fell to the ground. I don't even remember if I screamed or not when this peculiar thing happened. One of them screamed and the other was sent flying towards a tree. When he collided with it, it broke…'

'It broke?' Merlin asked, seeming to not believe what Gwen was retelling.

She shot Merlin an intense gaze that dared him to defy her. Once she was certain that all doubt and disbelief was destroyed Gwen continued her story.

'Yes, it broke. The same thing happened to the three around Morgana. Two of them collapsed, while the other was sent flying towards a tree. It, too, broke from the impact and fell to the ground. I don't ever want to hear such dreadful screams of agony. I looked up when my vision cleared and all I can remember seeing is an old woman dressed in nothing but black. Everything from her head to her feet was covered. The only thing I could see was her eyes – they were as black as a starless night.' Gwen explained as she stopped to catch her breath. She then added, 'She got rid of the rose petals and told me to come here and get you two. She promised me that Morgana would be fine. I did not believe her at first, but then she showed me her necklace. It bore the crest of Camelot.'

Merlin's eyes widened as his brain refused to digest all this information. He could not believe what had happened. He and Morgana had just come back from a journey that had gone completely wrong. They had thought they had been safe in Camelot, but it seemed they had been wrong. Merlin could not help but feel slightly guilty that he had allowed himself to feel secure. He should have known better than anybody else that the enemy never slept let alone allowed them to take a rest. But the one thing Merlin did not understand was why now and why here. The place and time were out of the ordinary. Before the ritual or whatever those people were going to perform on him and Morgana should have occurred during the night, during a full moon, to be exact. Plus, they had been in the forest, near a river, surrounded by flames, ashes and smoke. It had been completely different from now so then why?

_I don't know what's going on or why those people decided to attack Morgana, but one thing is for certain – there is something suspicious about everything that happened this morning. Sorcerers would not attack royalty, Uther's ward and her maid at that, so close to Camelot and especially not during the day. Though what Gwen told us to have happened is almost the same as what occurred in the forest. The only difference is that there was only a small patch of skin that was tattooed on the druids or whatever they were, while judging from Gwen's words the ones that attacked her and Morgana had tattoos all over their bodies. And just who is this sorceress that would appear out of the blue, save those who were close to the man that abhorred the very essence that she is and would be wearing something that bears the crest of Camelot__?__ Something's definitely wrong with this picture, but I just can't put my finger on it._

'Merlin. Merlin!' Gaius screamed as he put his hand on the boy's body and gently shook it. The man sighed exasperatedly as Merlin yelped and his eyes widened.

'We need to hurry. There is no time to lose.' Gaius added as he exited the door.

Gwen was about to get up when her ankle protested and made her wince. The jolt of pain was enough to let her know that she would be confined to the chair. Merlin examined her wound for a few seconds. He noted that it was not severe and was surprised to find it clean. It seemed Gaius had done that while they had been listening to Gwen or rather, Gaius had been listening, Merlin had been too busy pondering on the situation's peculiarity. With a deep sigh Merlin told Gwen to rest and that they would be right back. After he had warned Gwen not to move too much, Merlin exited Gaius' chambers and raced after the physician who was halfway through the castle right about now.

* * *

Finding Morgana was not difficult at all. It seemed she had been left lying on the ground all alone and the sorceress was nowhere to be found. Merlin frowned as he looked at the girl who was lying lifelessly on the ground. He hated seeing his friends hurt. He could not shake off the feeling that he was partially responsible for this. He knew he should have kept an eye on her after what had happened. He berated himself for letting his guard down. Merlin thought he should have been more careful. He could not help but think about the chance of not seeing Morgana ever again. A sharp pain twisted his heart at the ludicrous possibility of never seeing her radiant smile or talking to her or even hearing or seeing her. There was just something about the thought of living in a world without Morgana in it that made Merlin feel uneasy. He soon became aggravated when Gaius took to long during his examination. Merlin was just about to interfere and check on Morgana himself, although he was certain that the physician would do a far better job at it when Gaius spoke.

'She is not hurt. However, I am afraid I have some bad news as well.' Gaius explained.

'What kind of bad news?' Merlin enquired, concern and fear lacing his uncharacteristically gelid voice.

Gaius sighed. He looked at Merlin with great sadness before his answer came. As Gaius spoke those three words everything around Merlin seemed to grow silent. Every sound turned into silence. The silence grew deafening, however, as time passed. The trees grew smaller. The wind that whistled through the leaves disappeared. The bird's chirping faded. The colours of the sky became grayer by the second. Merlin's gaze lost its normal brightness. His expression hardened. His eyes grew distant. His legs felt heavy. His body froze. Then it grew numb. Suddenly Merlin's knees surrendered to the pressure of the mind that refused to accept the truth and the heart that denied reality.

'What do you mean she is dying?' Merlin whispered.

Gaius' expression turned solemn. He sympathised with Merlin. The situation did not appeal to him as well. He did not wish for it to be true, however, unlike Merlin, he knew how to accept the truth. Perhaps it was the fact that they were different in many ways. Maybe Gaius' experience was far greater than Merlin's and it allowed him to cope with such losses more easily than someone who was still barely a child, although Merlin was not an ordinary boy. Despite all that, Gaius, too, felt the tug of pain at his heart strings. He did not ignore it. He welcomed it. His mind accepted the truth, but his body suddenly felt far heavier than it usually did. He felt dead inside. He just could not help but shake off the feeling that every aspect of this situation, no matter how real, was unfair by all means.

'I meant every word I said Merlin. I do not know how it happened. I do not know who is to blame. I just know that she has a high fever, that her heart rate is almost the same as someone who is about to pass on and that her body is abnormally cold.' Gaius explained with typical doctor's neutrality.

Merlin suddenly looked up at Gaius. Fury welled up inside of him. It bit the insides of his heart, twisted and played with the strings until it broke them. Something inside Merlin collapsed when his mind finally registered the absurdity of the whole situation. A lump formed in Merlin's throat as his voice died.

His fists shook. His body refused to remain immobile. It wanted to run. It wanted to jump. It wanted to escape. Merlin's mind wanted to scream. His heart wanted to cry. His eyes wanted to be shielded from the pain and hopelessness of it all. But the veil would not appear. The body would not be protected. The heart would be shattered. The mind would be destroyed. The shell would be destroyed. The spirit would be broken.

'There is a cure,' someone suddenly spoke.

Merlin and Gaius immediately turned to the source of the voice. They were surprised to see an old woman dressed in nothing but black. On her neck a piece of silver was shining. No doubt it was the necklace Gwen had told them about.

Normally Merlin would not trust someone so easily. If the situation were different, if it were somebody else lying there or perhaps someone he did not care so deeply for, he would think twice before accepting the assistance of a complete stranger wholeheartedly, however, the situation had not changed. It was still the same and as much as Merlin wanted to deny it, he could not ignore the only ounce of hope he had left. That was the reason why with a heavy weight on his heart he gathered his last strength and found the energy to rise from the ground. The boy's gaze was lifeless when he spoke to the woman. His voice was emotionless. His body was void of any life whatsoever. His hands were limp. His legs were chained to the ground. His heart was bleeding. His mind was torn, but despite all that, only one thought was running through his mind – _Save her!_ – and as ludicrous as it sounded, Merlin listened only to it and followed the voice of insanity because right now it seemed the most logical thing to do.

'What is it?' Merlin asked.

'My, my, aren't you a fast one? What happened to the pleasantries? There were times when it would be considered quite impolite not to bow to someone of high stature,' the woman replied.

'Do not play games with me. You told me that you knew how to save her or were you just toying with me, telling what I wanted to hear?' Merlin enquired as an edge appeared to his voice. It seemed his patience was wearing thin.

The woman cackled. Gaius' eyes widened, while Merlin merely blinked. It seemed he had not been affected by the atrocious sound at all. His mind was still focused entirely on that one thought. Save her! It screamed over and over again as it resonated throughout the labyrinth that was Merlin's mind and echoed through the empty caves that were Merlin's heart.

'It seems you are intent on finding out and your patience is running thin,' the woman began. Her smirk grew as she continued, 'Very well, then. I shall tell you what you desire so deadly. If you want to save the useless witch I suggest you go to the Caves of Nymphia, ask the sirens what they know about a poison known as _Forest Bite _and do whatever it takes to find out the answer. Do not fall for their tricks. Be as sly as a fox, cunning as a wolf, perceptive as an eagle and sharp as a hawk. Be as wise as an owl and as flexible as a snake. Only then can you hope to achieve what you wish so greatly and that is the answer to the question plaguing your mind. Of course, the cure will be just a bonus. You have seven days until the body is dead, ten until her soul is lost and fifteen until nothing can be salvaged. I trust you will use your time efficiently, young warlock. Until we meet again.'

Suddenly there was a roar of thunder and the woman appeared. Merlin and Gaius were left alone with a lifeless Morgana still lying on the cold ground.

* * *

Getting Morgana back to her room seemed far easier than either Merlin or Gaius had anticipated. At first they had thought that Uther would go ballistic once he saw her. It turned out that the King was not interested at all in seeing his ward. It appeared that he did not even care enough to question the condition of her wellbeing. His lack of involvement in the issue shocked both Merlin and Gaius greatly. Gwen was fine, but would need a few days until her ankle recovered enough to let her move around freely. Of course, she would need to take it easy after that as well. Arthur had thrown a fit and had even gone as far to threaten some poor souls(mainly Merlin). The Prince had even gone as far as to question the verity of Gaius' words that Morgana had been feeling ill since last night and it seemed that she had got a fever this morning. After some convincing from Merlin, Gaius and Gwen, Arthur had told them that he believed everything, although Merlin doubted that the clotpole was being honest. Nonetheless, Arthur went about his daily routine as usual so that meant that there would be fewer things to worry about.

Merlin seemed to recover slightly from his stupor during the morning. Gaius was feeling better as well, but he was now worried about something else entirely – Merlin's refusal to listen to him. Merlin did not take heed of Gaius' constant warnings that the Caves of Nymphia was not a place one should venture on their own. In the end Gaius managed to convince Merlin to at least go and speak with the Great Dragon before he did anything they would both regret.

That was the reason why Merlin was now on his way to the magnificent creature's prison. He lit a torch, went down the stairs surprisingly fast and entered the cave where the Dragon was now resting. He seemed slightly surprised to see Merlin, but asked the reason for Merlin's being there, nonetheless.

'I need to find out everything there is to know about the Caves of Nymphia.' Merlin said.

At the mention of that gruesome place's name the Great Dragon immediately tensed. He rose from his sitting position. With always watchful eyes he observed Merlin's stance. His shoulders were tensed. His nostrils were flaring. There was fire blazing in his eyes. There was no doubt about it. Merlin was furious.

'May I ask the reason for your sudden interest in such a forbidden topic?' The Great Dragon enquired.

Merlin sighed before his shoulders slumped. He closed his eyes as he inhaled and exhaled. He mentally prepared himself for reliving this morning's mishaps. After Merlin had explained everything to the magical creature, Kilgharrah seemed to be contemplating his answer for a while, but after some time he finally spoke.

'I am certain you have already figured out that there is something suspicious about the sorceress.' The Great Dragon enunciated.

Merlin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. That was the reason why he simply nodded and waited patiently for the magical creature to continue.

'Very well then. I shall not warn you of the dangers that come with trusting someone who could very well be the source behind all these strange occurrences lately.' Kilgharrah said, 'I trust you are acquainted with the creatures known as sirens?'

Merlin nodded once more. Kilgharrah seemed to have a thoughtful look before he said with a grave expression.

'The Caves of Nymphia can be both seen and unseen by watchful eyes. The creatures inside them are the reason why many people lose their lives. The creatures of magic that dare venture inside them rarely return. Be careful when you meddle with a siren because you might get burnt.' Kilgharrah retold a riddle he learnt long ago. He then added, 'I think it would be best to trust no one on your journey to the Caves of Nymphia.'

There was a ghost of a smile on his face when Merlin seemed to be fighting against his desire to scream at the absurdness of the choice of words. After that Kilgharrah flew away, leaving Merlin all alone to scream some sort of questions the Great Dragon knew would be answered by others elsewhere.

After that Merlin went back to his chambers, mumbling something about stupid dragons and their need for riddles. Gaius had ignored the angry boy and had simply enquired what had happened. Merlin retold him the riddle.

'How am I supposed to know where it is when the stupid dragon won't even give me a hint?!' Merlin exclaimed.

Gaius simply sighed before he answered, 'I do not know Merlin, but it think about it. There are sirens involved. That means that these caves would most likely be either near water or underwater. It must be hidden somewhere deep within Albion's uninhabited areas, otherwise they would not have survived Uther's rage.'

Merlin nodded but it seemed that he still did not know how to get there. He did not even know in which direction to head in. All he knew was that all of this seemed to be getting more difficult by the second.

Suddenly there was a loud thunder and a book fell from the shelves. It hit the ground with a loud thud and opened on a page that had a strange picture of an island with a volcano on it. Merlin looked at it closely and noticed what was written below it. The word _Nymphia_ was engraved with golden letters. Beside the page, on the other one, there were a few sentences that explained to whoever was reading this how they could reach this godforsaken place. Merlin was not too keen on the idea of traveling by ship, but it seemed that it was the only way he would be able to reach the place. With a heavy heart Merlin gathered his belongings and sneaked out of the palace past noon, not forgetting to beseech Gaius not to tell Arthur that he would be at the tavern.

* * *

It was past late afternoon when Merlin reached the nearest harbour. He asked around and found out that the only captain brave enough to travel towards that place was feared by everyone and everything in the small town. Naturally, Merlin did not take heed of the people's warnings. He simply walked towards the ship and after some time encountered its captain.

'Excuse me,' he said, 'I am looking for this ship's captain. Do you happen to know where I could find him?'

The person in question turned around. With a small smile and eyes hidden by a large hat he walked towards the boy and stopped in front of him. He held out his hand for Merlin to shake as he spoke.

'That would have to be me. I am the captain of _Magic_. My name is Balinor.' The man said.

Merlin shook his hand as he replied, 'Pleased to meet your acquaintance. My name is Edgar.'

'May I ask the reason for your wish to travel to such a place?' Balinor enquired.

'I have some business to take care of there, but do not know where it is. From what I've heard you seem to be in a similar predicament. You, too, need to go to that place because you have matters to attend to there, but cannot risk going there alone. What do you say we make a deal – You help me find this place and in exchange I will help you with whatever there is you need to take care of?' Merlin said in hopes of gaining at least part of the man's trust.

Balinor seemed to be slightly suspicious at first and it made Merlin feel slightly uneasy. However, after some time passed the captain of 'Magic' smiled as she chuckled and shook the boy's hand once more.

'Deal.' Balinor said as Merlin laughed as well and shook his hand in return.

After that they both stepped onto the ship and thus began their journey towards a place from which many failed to return.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the ideas that have nothing to do with the original series. No money is being made from this story. It is being written solely for entertainment purposes. **

**Thank you for reading this far. I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Reviews****?**


	9. Chapter 9

The waves collided with the old wooden ship as it poured every ounce of its strength into staying afloat. The wind roared as it tried to rip apart the white sails. The night sky was beautiful, although there were hardly any stars to be seen. Merlin frowned at the lack of the shining little dots he adored so much. He wished he could see them from up close, but alas, tonight proved to be the opposite of perfect for stargazing. Instead of brooding over his lack of luck, the boy directed his attention towards the captain of the ship. Merlin took in the man's appearance. His black curly hair was currently being beaten by the wind, although the man did not seem to mind the special attention he was receiving. His eyes were shining as always. The only thing that bothered Merlin about those usually warm eyes was that he had caught flames dancing inside them on few occasions, frequently when the man was in some sort of predicament. The clothes he was wearing were foreign and were slightly hard to depict. The only conclusion the boy was able to draw from them was that the man before him was either a very successful shipman or had other businesses that brought him the money he needed in order to keep the lifestyle he was used to.

"Is something the matter, Edgar?" Balinor asked, sending the boy a concerned look.

Merlin was slightly confused at first for he had been addressed by a name that did not belong to him. After only a second, however, he remembered that he had indeed introduced himself using said name. Apparently he had not been able to keep track of the few lies he had told the person before him. A part of Merlin did not like lying to Balinor. Another one, however, kept reminding him that he had been advised not to trust anyone and unlike most of the time now Merlin was finding it easier to heed Kilgharrah's warning. Before Merlin could question the reason for his abnormal compliance he was jerked back to reality when burning arrows were thrown toward the ship. Screaming and victorious shouts could be heard from the neighbouring ship. Merlin's eyes widened when they met that of one of the pirates. When had they arrived? He had not felt their presence a second ago.

"Edgar, duck!" Balinor screamed as he used his hands to bring Merlin toward him. The boy was grateful for the captain's fast reaction because otherwise he would now be burning and undoubtedly in a lot of pain.

"How the hell did they get so close?!" Merlin half screamed, half asked as he tried to pinpoint where exactly those arrows were coming from only to realize that at least a dozen pirates were firing them.

"Magic." Balinor said before he brought his hand toward his mouth and closed his eyes. Merlin watched in horror as the man before him whispered an incantation the boy did not know. His fingers erupted into flames that had the colour of gelid blue, while golden stripes adorned the tips of his fingers. Balinor then leapt into the air and started cutting each and every one the arrows. Merlin had been shocked at first and had even screamed for the man to come back. Now, however, seeing that he could handle everything on his own, the boy opted to stay put and remain quiet. After all, the less Balinor knew about Merlin, the better Merlin's chances of keeping his secrets to himself were.

Soon the arrows were gone and Balinor's hand stopped glowing. The man smirked before he brought both of his hands in the form of prayer. He then brought them toward his chest, closed his eyes, whispered another incantation. His eyes suddenly opened, bright circles burning inside of them, while red and orange flames danced across his skin. He roared ferociously as he jumped from his ship to that of the pirates'. Merlin watched in astonishment as Balinor shot fireball after fireball, blocked, kicked, dodged, jumped up, down, left and right and repeated the actions over and over again. There were the occasional curses coming from the pirates and even from Balinor when one of them, the captain no doubt, had found an opening and had managed to slice Balinor's arm. The man growled, looked menacingly toward the enemy and shot a fireball with his good hand right at the man's heart. He died on the spot. Some of the pirates escaped, others were sliced, fried or burnt to death. Naturally, it ended in after a few minutes and Balinor came out of the battle as the victor.

Merlin's mouth flew open as Balinor jumped right back on 'Magic' and the enemy's ship disappeared into thin air. The man inspected his arm and cursed his luck. He brought his uninjured hand to the other and while whispering words that Merlin was familiar with he managed to heal part of the cut. Now all that was left was a small gash. Merlin sighed, rolled his eyes at Balinor's lack of patience and ignored the urge to go to said man and cast the spell himself. After all, though it was quite the simple one, it should be executed with caution because like every incantation it could always backfire and as a result not only would your wound not be healed, but worse – you could end up bleeding to death. Not a pretty sight indeed.

A sigh came from Balinor's way. Merlin looked at him questioningly. The man shook his head, chuckled and said:

"No need to worry about me, Edgar. I am quite capable of healing my wounds myself and thus would not need your help."

Merlin's eyes widened. He gaped at his companion. When had he revealed his most precious secret to an utter stranger?!

Balinor was confused at Merlin's bewilderment. The man nodded his head toward the boy's bags where a few herbs and bottles of medicine were protruding from and said:

"You are a physician or at least one's apprentice, are you not?"

Merlin shook his head, unable to grasp Balinor's quick deductive skills. Just how observant and intelligent was this man?

"I'm afraid I don't remember telling you any of that. And even if it were true, would it matter? You are a sorcerer and quite a powerful one at that so I don't even dare imagine you would need my help."

Balinor's eyes narrowed as he finished wrapping a few clean cloths around his hand and asked:

"You don't trust me, do you, Edgar?"

The boy looked down before he responded:

"I believe that much was obvious."

"It was. It is also understandable." Balinor replied, making Merlin lift his head abruptly and stare at him. The man chuckled at the boy's look of bewilderment before he explained, " I haven't given you any indication that you could trust me. Unfortunately, neither have you so unless one of us dares to gamble and actually reveals something about themselves I fear we would not get very far."

Merlin's confusion increased before he said:

"But you've already shown me something that is quite dangerous."

Balinor chuckled once more before he looked at the boy, his gaze a mixture of amusement and sadness.

"My gift does not endanger me. Quite the contrary. Plus, where we are going only creatures of magic can enter. In fact, you have to be one in order to have heard of the Caves of Nymphia. Tell me, Edgar, how long were you thinking of lying to me?"

Merlin's eyes widened, while Balinor's stayed the same. The latter's narrowed when the boy before him sighed and seemed to have given in. Surrendered had he indeed. In that small lapse of time Merlin had decided to come clean. After all, as ludicrous as it sounded, a part of him told him that the man before him was not going to hurt him. It seemed that Balinor had known all along that Merlin was either a sorcerer or was somehow connected to magic and yet the captain of 'Magic' had made no move to physically hurt Merlin. Balinor had not even said anything and up until now he had acted as cordially as it was possible to be toward a total stranger. With a sheepish grin Merlin gave Balinor his full attention before he came clean.

"My name is not Edgar." Merlin began, while Balinor's eyes narrowed dangerously. His hand moved toward his mouth once more, but Merlin reacted immediately.

"My real name is Merlin. I am a physician's apprentice as you've already guessed. The reason for my sudden interest in the Caves of Nymphia is because I have a friend whose life is in danger and the only way to save them is to go to that place and seek the wisdom of the sirens."

"Risking your life to save that of a friend. How noble." Balinor said as his hand returned to its previous rather relaxed position.

Merlin did not react to his comment. He merely continued, "I am a creature of magic. A sorcerer just like yourself. A warlock to be exact."

Balinor's eyes widened at the final declaration. He could not help but whisper, "You were born with magic."

Merlin's eyes widened slightly before a sad smile broke onto his face and he nodded weakly. It seemed that confessing his burden even to a complete stranger was not an easy task.

"What is your reason for coming here?" Merlin asked, trying to rid himself of negative thoughts and memories.

Balinor sighed before he scratched the back of his head. He looked at Merlin with a semi-sad, semi-apologetic smile and answered:

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that."

"What? Why? It's not like I'm going to use it against you and you already know what my goal is." Merlin protested.

Balinor chuckled at the boy's exasperated look. He then got up and turned his back to Merlin, while he said:

"Let's just say I have a few questions that need to be answered."

Merlin rolled his eyes at the evasive reply. He got up and was soon standing next to Balinor and turned his head toward the captain of 'Magic'. Then he uttered:

"Who doesn't?"

Balinor chuckled before he turned, ruffled the boy's hair and then proceeded to walk to his room. He motioned for Merlin to follow him as he said:

"Come on, boy. We have a long journey before us and Lord knows we both need our rest."

Merlin did not need a second invitation. He complied with Balinor's request and soon found himself sound asleep.

* * *

The morning sun rose at the horizon. With gentle rays it flew toward 'Magic' and caressed both people's faces. Balinor scrunched up his face at the intrusion, but soon realized that it was morning and it was time to wake up. He rose and rubbed his eyes, ridding himself of sleep's tempting hold. Merlin, on the other hand, did not mind being held captive by such an alluring spell. He groaned when the sun stroked his face and immediately covered it. He snuggled closer into his pillow and opted to ignore the day for as long as possible. Balinor had other plans, however. The captain first tried to gently shake the boy awake. The only response he received was a grunt. Balinor then opted for roughly shaking Merlin awake. He got a shove, another grunt and was rewarded with Merlin turning his back to him. Balinor rolled his eyes, turned around and smirked.

A loud splash woke Merlin. He screamed, choked and felt as though he was hyperventilating. He looked at Balinor as though he had grown a second head and half screamed:

"What are you trying to do?! Kill me?!"

Balinor chuckled before he answered:

"No, I was merely trying to wake you up. It seems that people are right when they say third time's the charm."

Merlin rolled his eyes, grumbled and glowered for a while before he gave in. Balinor had tried to wake him up normally. The boy supposed he could forgive the man. Just as he was about to say just that Balinor uttered:

"You should be grateful, you know?"

"Grateful?!" Merlin yelled as he got up and made his way toward Balinor, "I thought I was drowning for a second there!"

Balinor laughed before he slapped Merlin on the back, nearly making him fall face first on the wooden surface as he said:

"Don't be silly, Merlin. Plus it was either that or throwing you into the water. I'm sure the sirens would've loved to have you for dinner."

Merlin was about to retort, but his mind decided to focus on Balinor's last words.

"Sirens?" He asked.

"Yes, Merlin, sirens. They're out here right now actually."

"Really?" Merlin exclaimed as he rushed to see. What his eyes witnessed made him choke. Beautiful aquamarine scales were shining under the water as the salty liquid caressed each and every one of them. Long raven locks were dancing in rhythm with the waves. The strong tale was making sensual movements as though it alone were trying to lure Merlin in. When said tale disappeared underwater and was replaced with a face Merlin choked. He found himself staring into viridian pools that promised endless pleasurable torture. Blood-red lips moved and soon formed a triumphant smirk that seemed to mesmerize the boy. The movement dared him to lean forward, venture into unknown territories, seek the siren's tempting touches, succumb to the sinful pleasures she would undoubtedly grant him with.

Suddenly the siren jumped and Merlin was unprepared to react. Luckily for him Balinor was quick. He grabbed Merlin's shoulder and jerked him back just in time to avoid the poisonous teeth that were about to sink into his skin. Scaly hands grabbed onto the wooden platform and multiple hisses could be heard. Sharp nails dug themselves into the wood and almost shattered it into a million pieces. Fortunately, Balinor yet again interfered. He shot the siren with a few fireballs and soon she was back in the water. Agonizing screams and multiple hisses from her companions could be heard until they sank back into their unknown world.

Merlin was breathing heavily. He could not believe what he had seen. At first a beautiful woman and then, then this snake-like creature… Just what the hell were they?

"What you saw was not a siren. It was an umbra." Balinor iterated.

Merlin's eyes narrowed as he whispered, "Umbra. What kind of creature is that?!"

"Umbra means a lot of things – darkness, ghost, Spirit, foliage, darkness, security, shadow, safety, illusion, etc, etc. It derives from Latin. These creatures were given such a name because of their nature. They do not have a true form or even if they do and change into it, there is no way you can find out whether they are in it or not. They are the shadows that lurk in the deep blue of the oceans, seas, sometimes even rivers and lure men and women alike in. They give them a few pleasurable moments before they start feeding. Some of them prefer the skin, others bones, third blood. There are those that prefer the soul, though they are quite rare."

"So what… are they shape shifters of some sort?" Merlin questioned after he had finished shuddering. He could not believe he had allowed that thing to come so close to him.

"You could call them that. Anyway, it doesn't matter which term you use. The point is they are dangerous so stay away from them." Balinor replied before he started walking back to his room.

Merlin sighed. He could not believe he had been fooled. It seems eyes really could not be trusted when it came to magic.

"How can I distinguish umbra from sirens?" Merlin called out.

"Easy. Umbra will always show you the person you desire the most – it might be your parents, siblings, friends, lover, etc. It all depends on which part of you they choose to exploit, though most of them love messing with people's libido."

Merlin's eyes widened as he stuttered, "L-libido?! What is that supposed to mean?!"

"It means they show you the one you want to screw or what was it most noble men used… Ah, yes, make love." Balinor explained as he turned around. His eyes widened before he doubled over in laughter. Merlin's entire face was currently as red as a tomato. His ears seemed to have grown from that shade and his eyes were as wide as saucers.

While Balinor returned to his room, only one thought was running through Merlin's head:

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! NO! No way in hell. There is no way I want to do such __**things **__to M-M-M-Morgana! No, no way. It is not possible. Period. Balinor must be wrong. There is no way in hell I want to m-ma-ma-make l-lo-lov…Gah, I can't even think it! _

Suddenly the image of the siren came back only to be replaced with the true version. Merlin wanted to rip his head. He screamed. He growled. He groaned. He looked down. His eyes widened.

_Crap! _

* * *

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for the plot.**

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I hope you found this chapter enjoyable. Before we move on I have a question – would you like Merlin to find out that Balinor is his father or not?

A big thank you goes to those you read, followed, favourited and reviewed. Also, thank you **Howarand** for reminding me about this story. If it weren't for you, this chapter probably would have come to life. (Insert laugh here) : D

Until next time,

_~ QueenofRhymes ~_


	10. Chapter 10

Merlin awoke with a start. He breathed in deeply and exhaled, trying to calm himself down. However, his efforts were fruitless and futile for his respiratory system could not handle the pressure. His breathing continued to be laboured. His heart rate was erratic as his cardiovascular system desperately tried to catch up with the level her neighbour was currently working at.

Suddenly the wooden door burst open and a grinning Balinor walked in. Merlin eyed him suspiciously. Naturally, the older man simply waved his accusatory glances off and said what was currently on his mind.

"Merlin, glad to see you're awake." Balinor made a few steps so that he was now standing in front of the boy's bed. "Come observe something with me."

"Wh-what?" Merlin managed to ask as he unceremoniously hoisted up and carried to the deck hanging from Balinor's shoulder. The latter soon put him down after having heard the hundredth protest scramble from Merlin's mouth.

"Tell me, if you please, why the hell was that necessary?!" Merlin exclaimed.

Of course, as always, Balinor ignored his outburst and instead grasped his shoulder and turned the boy roughly around. Merlin glared angrily at Balinor for having interrupted his dusting his clothes off, but his furious glance was interrupted once he his eyes landed on yet another mesmerizing sight.

Before him translucent being were flowing through the air. Some of them adorned a beautiful gentle lilac colour, whereas other had adopted a soft gray hue, while third were gifted with a fleeting white. Needless to say, the creatures reminded Merlin of a peculiar type of sea animals. However, he could not pinpoint which one.

Merlin's eyes widened once his gaze connected with one of theirs. His mouth gaped open. He found himself looking into the clearest blue skies he had ever seen. Radiant yet gentle. Silent and mysterious. Fleeting yet memorable. Two polar opposites that had connected to create a masterpiece, Merlin concluded. Sometimes nature truly did manage to outdo herself once more.

"They truly are unique, aren't they?" Balinor suddenly uttered, jerking Merlin back to reality. Much to the boy's dismay the man's deep voice had scared the creature off. As a result, Balinor earned himself another glare from a very pissed off Merlin.

"Oh, don't you go and sulk. Where we are going you will see plenty of them." Balinor chastised as he turned around and headed toward the wheel.

Merlin's eyes widened. Then they narrowed when he noticed that a fog of clouds appeared in his line of vision. The clouds were so thick that Merlin could barely make out the lines of Balinor's slightly bulky figure.

"If you have not realized it yet, we are almost there."

Merlin choked. Had they really come this far? They had been traveling for a few days now and yet he had not had the sense to ask Balinor whether they had reached their destination yet simply because the man had warned him the journey was relatively long and gravely dangerous.

Suddenly Merlin gasped. He bent forward, then backward, then forward once more. His eyes watered and soon started becoming red. His lungs began burning and he desperately grasped his throat, as though that were going to put an end to the surprisingly numbing pain. Quite soon it abided as fast as it had come.

Just as the pain disappeared so did the clouds. As a result, Merlin could breathe again. He whirled around once he felt a powerful source of energy behind him. The boy was ready to strike, but immediately halted once he noticed that the man before him was none other than Balinor. The older of the two looked shocked. Merlin could not understand the reason for Balinor's frozen stance. He could only stare at the captain of 'Magic' and hope that the man would get out of whatever stupor he had gone into.

"Why didn't you tell me you were Emrys?" Balinor asked as he took a few shaky steps back and started breathing in and out erratically.

It was Merlin's turn to freeze. How had Balinor found out? Was it something Merlin had said or done? Had he somehow given Balinor a clue as to his other identity, the one which was, quite frankly, a lot more dangerous than that of the prat's servant? Impossible, he concluded as he mentally replayed their conversation from the previous day. Then what had caused such a revelation on Balinor's part?

A sudden jolt passed through Merlin's body. The boy was speechless. Had he actually managed to feel Balinor's… energy spike up? He was suddenly starting to realize why you had to be a creature of magic in order to have at least heard of the Caves of Nymphia. It was not a simple island, it was or at least had been a center of magic, a powerful one at that.

"Can you tell me what exactly this place is?" Merlin managed to ask as he took a careful step toward Balinor, feeling a familiar jolt, yet not as frantic as the previous one had been, shoot through his being.

Balinor chuckled as he looked at Merlin. "I presume you have not been able to do much research on this place, have you, Emrys?"

Merlin cringed. He still was not entirely used to people addressing him that way. Instead of focusing on his slight discomfort, he opted to concentrate on the questions that had piled up in his head.

"Your presumption is quite accurate. How did you find out?" Merlin replied.

"You ask far too many questions." Balinor answered as he smirked, making Merlin huff slightly. It seemed Merlin had not been able to keep his curiosity in check once more.

"That, plus the way you reacted to entering through the barrier told me enough. You do not know a little, you know nothing at all about this place, do you?" Balinor questioned.

Merlin looked away. He did not want to confirm the man's suspicions as such knowledge could give Balinor immense advantage, while making Merlin feel even more vulnerable. Nonetheless, seeing as he lacked a better choice in the matter, the trapped boy turned his head back, looked directly into Balinor's curious gaze and nodded. The man naturally sighed as he brought a hand up and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I suppose I should fill you in as much as I can in the scarce time we have left." He said as he continued massaging his neck.

Merlin did not say anything. He merely sat on a wooden chest, having a hunch that the dialogue or rather monologue was going to be long.

"What you see now," Balinor began as he gestured to the silver rocks that were protruding from the water, "is just a mere fraction of the dazzling beauty of the Caves of Nymphia. What you will see underwater, if you receive a chance that is, will quite literally take your breath away. However, if you manage to survive the excruciating pain from having almost all of your magic sucked out of you, you just might find the experience worth it. Also, it is important to note that the second you pass through that barrier your magic turns into energy. You cannot lose your energy or acquire energy from nothing. You will have to rest, naturally, in order to recover after you have had a battle or have simply wasted too much of your energy supplies."

Balinor stopped and looked at Merlin, gauging the boy's reaction. To his surprise Merlin was taking this fairly well. The question that followed, however, made the captain of 'Magic' curse the warlock's perceptiveness.

"What happens if you waste your whole energy supply? I suppose each creature has a limit, right?"

Balinor sighed as he cringed, "Normally, you would pass out a long time before you manage to reach your limit. However, if you do succeed in exhausting your supplies to their very end, then you will most likely… die."

Merlin blinked, "Die?" He asked monotonously.

"Yes, die. However, there is a catch." Balinor replied.

"Which is?" Merlin followed as hic clouded gaze met Balinor's darkened one.

"You have a time limit." Balinor answered grimly.

"Oh, of course! There is also a time limit!" Merlin exclaimed as he brought both of his hands and used them to cover his eyes. He then began massaging his temples and asked, "Why can't things just be easy? For once? Is that too much to ask?"

Balinor pitied the boy. He could not imagine what it was like to carry a burden as profound as that of Emrys'. After all, what he chose influenced not only other people's lives and fates, but their destinies as well. His destiny was connected with theirs. His fate was fixed with theirs and he knew. He knew so much and yet most of the time he was helpless to change what he wanted because that could stir events in the wrong direction. How Balinor wished he could help the boy cope with at least a small part of that responsibility.

"It is not. Do you wish for me to continue or would you prefer if I gave you time to rest and clear your head?" Balinor tentatively enquired.

Merlin shook his head. "No, there is no time left. Please tell me how long do I have to accomplish what I have set out to do?"

"Two weeks." Balinor answered as a shadow passed through his gaze for a split second.

Merlin noticed the change and the familiar pattern as well. He remembered what the witch had told him about the time he had to save Morgana. He did not understand how his lapse of time was connected to hers.

"Strange. The one who is responsible for my friend's state told me that I had fifteen days until nothing could be salvaged." Merlin explained.

Merlin's eyes widened and his heart rate became erratic the second he noticed the shock that passed and soon manage to settle on Balinor's face. The boy knew he would be right if he chanced a guess that the culprit was bad news.

"What exactly did this person tell you, Merlin?" Balinor asked.

"She said I had seven days until the body is dead, ten until her soul is lost and fifteen until nothing can be salvaged." Merlin recited, "She also advised me to search for a poison known as Forest Bite. Do you happen to know anything about it?"

Balinor sighed exhaustedly. Merlin felt dread spread through his entire being once he noticed the gelidness and utter hopelessness in Balinor's gaze. Merlin also witnessed darkness pool into those dark orbs, making them seem as though they were almost entirely black.

"Unfortunately or fortunately," Balinor began as he chuckled dejectedly, "I do. Forest bite is a poisonous enchantment. Normally, you would need herbs for such a powerful spell. However, if you are a special type of creature, you might be able to conduct the incantation without their assistance. Would you please tell me more about the woman who dared cast such a spell?"

Merlin nodded. He had not heeded Kilgharrah's guidance so many times, what could overstepping the boundaries the Great Dragon had set for him a little more possibly do?

"I could not see her face. She wore a black cloak. I remember that when she cast the spell, her eyes blazed an icy-blue, not the normal golden hue that most sorcerers adopt. When she appeared, there was a shift in the atmosphere." Merlin explained.

Balinor's eyes narrowed. "What type of shift exactly was it, Merlin?" He asked as he hoped and prayed that his suspicions would not come true.

"I am not really sure. All I know is her appearance screamed danger. I remember that I felt dread, however, I am not certain if I remained fraught with fear during the whole time she and I were near each other. All I can recall is that I had a hunch that she was no ordinary creature and that I'd best be careful." Merlin explained, "I am sorry, but that is everything I can remember."

"Was she careful about not exposing her head?" Balinor suddenly asked.

Merlin frowned. What did that have to do with everything else? He also was not certain where Balinor was going with all of this. Nonetheless, he answered.

"I do not remember such a thing happening. She was cautious not to expose her true nature, however. I could sense that she was holding back. She had this whole arrogant demeanor as though she knew she were better than you, but did not want to shot it firsthand. She seemed like the type of person to let others do the dirty work and afterward bask in the glory. She appeared to be calculating whether it was necessary to expose her powers."

"And you managed to gather all of that from a simple observation?" Balinor asked as he chuckled.

Merlin was slightly offended. Did Balinor not have faith in his abilities? Or perhaps was the man before him truly powerful? Strangely, Merlin did not feel the need to question the man's verity anymore.

"I did not only observe her. As I told you I felt a shift in the air." Merlin answered.

Balinor chuckled once more. He did not know why, but he found the sight of an infuriated young warlock rather amusing.

"I apologize if I have offended you in any way, Merlin. I was simply astounded. It is not every day that you meet a young sorcerer as yourself and hear that he is so strongly connected to his inner voice." Balinor explained.

"My inner self?" Merlin questioned.

Balinor seemed shock once more. "You do not know about the existence of your inner self? Jesus Christ, boy, how on earth have you survived for so long without knowing such simple things?"

Merlin glared at the captain of 'Magic'. "I have not exactly been taught by anyone. I had to figure most things on my own. Luckily, most spells come easily to me. Only when it comes to the more complex ones do I need to practice them several times in order to master them."

Balinor laughed. "You truly are a sight to behold and an endless spring of amusement, Merlin."

Merlin looked affronted. How had Balinor managed to come to such a conclusion exactly? Merlin was not the laughing stock of this entire island, damn it!

"Let me explain, Merlin. You see, your inner self is your intuitive side, the source of all your hunches and pieces of knowledge and skills that just come naturally. Every person has them. However, sorcerers have better access to them, whereas warlocks and witches are naturally connected to them. The stronger your connection to your inner self is, the easier spells will come to you. Hence you are able to learn spells so quickly and are only perplexed when more difficult incantations are involved." Balinor uttered as he hoped that this explanation would help soothe Merlin's slightly damaged pride.

Even though Merlin's ego was still a bit bruised, he could not help but feel a small ounce of satisfaction at hearing about his 'strong connection to his inner self'. Of course, the goofy grin he acquired soon after Balinor's small declaration was enough to send the captain of 'Magic' into another laughing fit.


	11. Chapter 11

The sun was shining upon the island, feeding the greedy flora and fauna with its magnificent rays. Its energy was consumed immediately, putting a temporary end to each and every magical creature's craving. Merlin was astonished at the size of the island. There were only rocks covering the highest parts of it. Caves could be seen, however, because of the distance, they had adopted the form of a hole which needed to be closed.

Wind was blowing through the trees as birds soared through the cloudless skies. Merlin cringed when one of them emitted a high pitched sound. He shut his eyes tight, grabbed his ears and moaned. Merlin swore he would have fallen if Balinor had not caught him.

"How are your ears?" Balinor asked once Merlin had regained his balance once more.

Merlin shook his head and growled out, "What the hell was that?!"

Balinor chuckled before he wiped a red liquid which had trailed its way from Merlin's ear shell to the middle if his cheek. Merlin cringed once he saw the blood. He still felt the reverberation of the bird's scream in his head.

"Don't worry. It's just temporary." Balinor said to Merlin's good ear. When the captain of 'Magic' chuckled again, Merlin glared.

Merlin crossed his arms and uttered, "I fail to see the hilariousness of the situation."

"Merlin, you always fail to see the funny side of everything." Balinor remarked, making the boy scowl. Balinor's response was a simple smirk.

Once the two had calmed down, Merlin concluded it was high time they got down to business.

"I still need to know. Do you know what type of creature attacked my friend?"

Balinor seemed hesitant at first. He sighed, but kept his eyes firmly on the horizon when he answered, "The Encantado."

"The Enchantrado?" Merlin repeated, feeling his tongue had now been bound by a pesky word.

This time Balinor did not chuckle at Merlin's mistake. Naturally, the boy could not help but shiver. It seemed the graveness of this situation had now become tangible.

"The Encantado." Balinor repeated, however, he kept quiet.

"Care to elaborate?" Merlin urged, feeling sweat trickle down his forehead. He did not bother to wipe it with his sleeve, feeling as though the slightest movement could give Balinor a further fright.

"This creature was believed to have become extinct until recently." Balinor uttered. He then stopped watching the horizon, closed his eyes, whispered an incantation and then let go of the wheel. Merlin yelped when the ship shook only to continue its journey forward.

Balinor was walking briskly and before Merlin could even catch up to him and ask how exactly the steering wheel was moving on its own accord and they had not crashed or sunk, Balinor uttered, " 'Magic' can sometimes be controlled by magic. However, it responds to mine alone."

Merlin frowned before he asked, "What about your relatives? Should not the magic of you and your kin be the same?"

"Yes and no." Balinor answered as he opened the door to his room. Merlin followed, opening his mouth only to shut it when Balinor turned around sharply and explained, " Each person's magic unique. Although there is some similarity between my magic and that of my kin, only my parents, children or siblings will be able to control this ship by magic. Now are you done with your stupid questions?"

Merlin nodded. He sat and waited patiently for Balinor to find what he was looking for. As Balinor was rummaging through the cabinets, Merlin looked around. His gaze traced the bed which was covered by a red blanket. Next to the bed there was a small, wooden table with two chairs. Merlin was now sitting on one of them. There a few chests and cupboards, but no wardrobe. There were no cabinets either. Merlin wondered what exactly Balinor kept in his room and how much time exactly he spent in here.

Merlin's attention was drawn to Balinor once more when the captain of 'Magic' cursed for opening another drawer and not finding what he was looking for.

"Need any help?" Merlin enquired.

"I appreciate the gesture of kindness, kid, and don't take it personally, but I do not let anyone touch my belongings." Balinor explained.

Merlin nodded, although Balinor could not see. Instead, Merlin found another way to pass the time. As Balinor shifted to another pair of drawers, the warlock could not help but observe the man more closely. After all, the boy had trusted Balinor far too fast and yet there was still an air of mystery around the man. Now that he thought about it, Merlin had told the captain of 'Magic' a few details about himself, but had not received any personal information in return. Just what was Balinor hiding?

"Finally!" Balinor exclaimed.

Merlin glued his back to the chair when an old, dark brown book was plopped before him.

"What is this?" Merlin asked.

"A book." Balinor answered nonchalantly. He then smirked and added before Merlin could scowl, " It will help you understand exactly what you are up against."

Merlin nodded, however, he did not open the book. He simply rested his back against the chair, crossed his arms and said, "I'd rather you told me."

Balinor was about to groan when Merlin uttered, "Consider it a deal. You summarise everything I need to know in order to successfully eradicate the Encantado and I will never ask you about anything personal deliberately again."

Balinor considered the option. It was true that he could always evade Merlin's personal questions, but, after all, it would help him immensely if the boy did not venture into unknown territories. Therefore Balinor smiled and replied, "Fair enough."

Internally, he was facing a battle. A part of him wanted to keep everything about himself a secret, but another, more human one, yearned for the end of secrecy. On the inside Balinor wanted to expose a part of his life to Merlin, but on the outside he went strictly on to explain what he knew about the Encantado and regarded it as important information.

"The Encantado come from the Encante. This world is considered a utopia because there you cannot feel pain, anguish or fear. In the Encante there is no death. There you simply exist."

Merlin gasped. He had heard of such worlds, but had never considered the possibility of them actually existing.

"Encantado means 'enchanted one'. They are one of the most powerful creatures to ever walk the Earth. Usually the encantados stay in the Encante, however, there are times when their longing for the human world's problems, drama and pain seem far too enticing and they leave their home. The legends speak of a portal which can only be opened and closed by an encantado. Once one of them opened it, but forgot to close it."

Merlin sucked in a breath. His heart was hammering in his chest. He did not like the direction which the events had taken.

"Before I did not believe in it, but now, or rather thanks to a few recent events, I started believing in the story's verity." Balinor said. He sighed before he smiled sadly, "The Encantado was just a girl. She had been attracted by the feasts in the nearby castle and had desired to attend one. Naturally, she fulfilled her wish. However, during her absence from Encante, a young prince found the portal and, wanting to prove himself, entered it."

Balinor locked eyes with Merlin, "This prince had a kind heart. He did not believe that magic was created only to harm people. That was until he met her. He fell in love with her beauty. The Encantado that he encountered had turned into the prince's image of the perfect woman. They made love and out of that one night came the creature you are facing today."

Merlin frowned, "How exactly is this helping me?"

Balinor glared at Merlin, "It will once you learn to be patient and do not interrupt me."

Merlin adopted a guilty expression and sank into his seat, closing his mouth firmly. Balinor nodded as a way to show his gratitude, ran a hand through his hair and continued, "Three years later the prince's father died and he inherited the throne. The Encantado he had made love to came back a day before his coronation with a child in her arms, claiming the girl was his. The prince refused to heed her words and once she refused to leave, he threatened he would eradicate her species."

Merlin's eyes widened. The prince was starting to sound like a person he knew all too well.

"The Encantado laughed and simply waved off his menacing words. She let her guard down when she opened the portal, giving the prince and his army the perfect opportunity to enter the Encante." Balinor stopped to inhale and exhale deeply.

Impatient, Merlin asked, "What happened afterwards?"

Balinor did not have the strength to glare at the boy for disobeying him. He simply looked Merlin straight in the eyes and said, "The Encante was destroyed."

"But-but how? Surely you cannot just simply eradicate a whole species."

"There were sorcerers on the prince's side. He used them in order to exact his revenge. However, before he could destroy the last member of the royal family, something happened." Balinor replied.

"What?" Merlin asked, gripping the edge of the table.

Balinor sighed deeply, "The last surviving member of the royal family, the prince's child, disappeared."

Merlin's eyes widened as his mind tried to process what he was hearing. He blinked once, twice, three times. Nothing was happening. He could not comprehend how such an outcome could have occurred.

"Surely there must be something or someone that helped that child. After all, you cannot perform teleportation that easily no matter how advanced your powers are at such a fragile age."

"Merlin." Balinor said, attracting the boy's attention. "There was a sorcerer involved. This sorcerer is now using her in order to fulfill the plans his deranged mind managed to concoct. He is also the one I am after. However, before I face him I need to acquire a weapon. This weapon can only be found here. And even though I was not planning on getting you involved, I fear I see no better choice. Merlin, are you willing to assist me in preventing a catastrophe from happening?"

Merlin's heartbeat was thudding in his ears as he uttered, "Gladly."

"Remind me again how far we have to walk?" Merlin asked for the umpteenth time.

He wiped a few beads of sweat from his forehead and inhaled gulps of air. Balinor looked at him for a second before he smirked, looked ahead and enquired, "I thought the great Emrys could handle a few miles?"

"Walking, yes, climbing, hell no!" Merlin yelled as he adjusted the position of his hand.

Balinor shook his head and chuckled once more. Merlin was becoming more and more amusing by the minute.

"Just a little bit more, kid!" Balinor yelled as he placed his hands on the rocky surface and pulled himself up. He then waited for Merlin to climb up to this level and helped him step onto the rocks.

Merlin panted. He could swear his heart was doing marathons in his ribcage.

"There is a cave up ahead. We are going to rest there for the night." Balinor said as he, too, panted.

Merlin nodded, not having the capacity to do use his mouth for two tasks at a time yet.

The two had collected wood beforehand thanks to Balinor's perceptiveness. Merlin had grumbled at first, but was now grateful for the man's insight. The warlock was also thankful for the quick fire spell Balinor had used to make heat and light fill the otherwise empty, damp and cold cave. Merlin was just about to voice his gratefulness when he noticed something. Balinor was looking at the flames and was still crouching. Five minutes at least had passed and he had yet to rise and adopt a sleeping position his body would deem comfortable.

"Is something the matter?" Merlin asked. He felt a shiver run through his spine when he felt Balinor's energy spike. It seemed he had indeed let his guard down.

The man sighed dejectedly. He hesitated at first, but finally surrendered.

"I was thinking." He uttered.

"About?" Merlin chanced his luck by asking.

Balinor chuckled before he rose, walked the few steps that separated him from his sleeping spot and lied down. He looked at Merlin and raised an eyebrow, "I thought we made a deal. I tell you what I know about the Encantado and you refrain from asking me any personal questions."

Merlin narrowed his eyes before he smiled triumphantly, "I did not ask you anything personal because there is no way I can see what is going on in your mind. For all I know, you could be conceiving a plan on how to dethrone Uther."

Balinor's eyes widened before his face hardened. His jaw tensed as he clenched his visible hand into a fist.

"I am planning no such thing. He may become insane when the word 'magic' is involved, but otherwise he is a sublime king, one that will remembered for centuries. I may not agree with the severe ways he chooses to deal with treason or similar penalties. However, I admit he is a fine ruler and I respect him for having the courage to stand behind what he believes in." Balinor uttered.

Merlin was taken aback. Anger flared inside the boy's weary body. He rose into a sitting position and growled, "Do you have any idea what it is like to live with that man's aversion of magic?! To stand in his presence and be treated as though you were trash, even though you have the power to destroy him and everything he stands for?! Do you know what it is like to be forced to hide who you are, to pretend that you are an idiot so that people will not suspect anything? To live and save the world from the shadows and watch as someone else takes all the credit and you remain the foolish and worthless servant you have ever been?"

The last words were whispered as Merlin's eyes glistened. Balinor watched the boy face an internal battle of hesitance and anger. It was obvious Merlin had a lot more to say, had much more experiences he wanted to share with someone. However, due to his common sense or intuition, he chose to remain silent. Balinor could only smile sadly as he rose and walked the few steps that separated him from the boy. The captain of 'Magic' sat down next to the warlock and wrapped an arm around Merlin's shoulders. Although the gesture was unfamiliar and unexpected, Merlin welcomed the warmth openly.

"I may not know what it is like to live under the same roof as that ruthless killer of magical beings," Balinor uttered, drawing Merlin's attention, "But I do know what it is like to have to hide who you are, Merlin. I also know the repercussions of leading such a life."

The last sentence piqued Merlin's curiosity. He leaned backward and asked, "Have you lost precious people because of your secret?"

Balinor was hesitant, however, as the seconds ticked by, he smiled sadly and looked ahead. With a forlorn expression he professed, "I abandoned the love of my life, Hunith, because I had to run away from the persecutors of magic."

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. **

**A/N: Thank you everyone for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing. I hope you liked this chapter especially the cliffhanger! :D **

Meri Ley: Thank you for being so kind! I am not sure whether Balinor will be a dragon lord in this story. It seems we will have to wait and see how the plot progresses.


	12. Chapter 12

Merlin was flabbergasted. His fingers trembled as his mind attempted to comprehend what his ears had just picked up. It seemed this task was proving to be rather difficult. The warlock swore his heart had frozen. Had Balinor just uttered the name of his mother? What did this revelation mean? Was there a chance for Balinor and Merlin to be related?

He did not dare whisper the forbidden word of the parent that had always been absent from his life. His heart plunged deeply into the recesses of his mind where memories of birthdays spent without this important person reigned.

Merlin had always been happy and grateful for his mother. He had thanked the gods over and over again for the fact that she always managed to make him smile when his world had crumbled. He had prayed for her safety and would gladly give his life for her without a second thought. Nonetheless, despite his content with the love that had always bound him and his mother, Hunith could never fill the void that the shadow of a faceless parent had created.

Faceless. Unknown. Unreal. Ghost. Shadow. Spirit. Merlin had conjured different words with which he would describe him. He had dreamt of their meeting many times. His heart had yearned to finally hear the beating of his father's heart. His mind had screamed for the conversations only fathers and sons could have. His shoulders had always needed to feel what it would be like to be held in his father's safe and tight grasp. His eyes had longed to look into those of his father. His ears had longed to hear the voice of his other parent either talking to him, telling him stories or simply saying his name or those four simple words that would make his entire resolve collapse and his being swell with pride – 'I love you, son.'.

But Balinor would never say those words. He would never see Merlin in such a light nor… could he? Would he? Did he know that he had a son? As Merlin replayed Balinor's last words in his head, he realized that the answer was no. If Balinor had known that Hunith had been pregnant, he would never have left her. That left him with two options – he could remain silent and ignore what he had just found out or he could dig deeper until he reached the crevices of Balinor's mind and unveil the entire truth.

"What happened with her?" Merlin asked involuntarily.

Balinor was taken aback by the boy's question. At first anger bubbled inside of him, but soon bewilderment kicked in when he felt Merlin's magic shift. Immediately after Balinor detected something else from the boy's energy – was Merlin afraid? What could the most powerful warlock possibly be scared of?

"Please, Balinor. I know I made a promise and I intend to keep it. However, I cannot this time for reasons I am certain you will be able to understand. Unfortunately, I will not reveal them until you answer my question." Merlin uttered.

Balinor calmed down when he felt that Merlin's energy had not spiked up again. It was oddly soothing and endearing at the same time. Balinor did not understand why he was so deeply affected by Merlin's magic. He just was. Was this the power of Emrys? Could this small boy actually influence other, more powerful sorcerers with just a mere shift in his energy flow?

"I will then. However, in turn I will ask you something when the right time comes." Balinor replied.

Merlin frowned. At first he hesitated. However, seeing as he had already revealed far too much, he concluded that he had barely anything left to lose. With a shaky intake of breath he nodded. Balinor smiled.

"I do not know what happened with Hunith. I…. Despite the fact that I loved her dearly, I had to leave. I thought it was better that way. After all, with me gone, she was going to be relatively safe." Balinor said. He then felt Merlin's energy jolt. His spiked up as well.

"Do you know her somehow, Merlin?" Balinor suddenly enquired, narrowing his eyes.

Merlin's eyes widened. His heart rate increased. Sweat poured down his temple. Balinor felt the cold chill that disrupted the boy's normally warm energy flow. This caused his eyes to narrow further and the crossing of his arms.

"I…" Merlin began, but stopped. He closed his eyes and inhaled and exhaled slowly, deeply. He needed to calm his heart down and think everything through. If he answered positively, he would definitely raise Balinor's suspicion. However, even if he did lie, he would accomplish nothing. After all, Balinor would probably see through it immediately.

Balinor's energy spiked up suddenly. It was a clear sign he was becoming impatient.

"I do know her." Merlin answered as he opened his eyes and locked gazes with Balinor.

The latter's eyes widened before they returned to their previous size. With arms still crossed and head lightly turned to the left, Balinor asked, "How exactly do you know her?"

"I was born in Ealdor. You know how it is. People from a small village are bound to know each other." Merlin responded.

Balinor seemed hesitant at first. It appeared he was dubious about it all and had a feeling Merlin was keeping something from him. Merlin did not blame him. He would be suspicious as well were their roles reversed.

"How is she then? Did she get married?" Balinor questioned.

Merlin smiled sadly. "No, she never got married."

Balinor was surprised, but failed to hide the small smile that threatened to escape before he asked, "How so?"

"She said she had already found and lost her love once. She did not want to go through similar pain once more." Merlin replied coldly.

Balinor's expression became solemn. Soon it became somber as he narrowed his eyes and responded, "I can hear the accusation your words are laced with, Merlin. I suppose you care for her deeply."

Merlin laughed humorlessly. "Much more than that."

Balinor frowned, "What do you mean?"

Merlin's face hardened when he uttered, "She is my mother."

* * *

The wind picked up once more. It hurled toward the rocks and caves, sizzling with the whispers of the dead. The mountain gave no answer. It simply remained as silent as it had always been, simply allowing the gusts of freezing cold air to pass through it. Now, however, another member was added to the reverberation of those whispers – the fog. The blinding dampness appeared to be a mute observer to everything. It watched as it started to drizzle, adding a melody of forlorn worlds. It witnessed how the wind altered its speed, hitting the rocks with ferocity akin to that of a furious warlock who had just lost a loved one.

Then there were also the haunting tunes of fear that wind carried with himself sometimes. Those tunes were similar to the emotional state a certain dragon lord was now in.

"Merlin, come back here!" Balinor screamed, disrupting the nature's endless conversations.

"Like hell I will." Merlin mumbled as he walked out of the cave, immediately becoming drenched with gelid water.

Fire shot through the night, but did not reach its target. The rain had prevented the collision, making Balinor thoroughly unhappy. He needed to conceive a plan and soon, otherwise Merlin was going to walk out of his life again. Thinking quickly Balinor sighed and brought his hands together.

"I guess there is no way round it." He murmured as he closed his eyes.

As he whispered an incantation, his hands started glowing at particular places, forming three perfect circles. These circles started from the base of the palm and spread all the way to the tips of the man's fingers. His eyes, which had opened three minutes prior, had the same glint as well. When the final word was whispered, three glowing ropes were sent Merlin's way, entangling themselves in his body. One bound his feet together, while the other kept his hands planted firmly at the back. The third secured his upper arms.

Merlin thrashed and squirmed, but only ended up with fruitless effort. He was glad, however, that the ropes had not tightened with his movement. He was about to whisper an incantation when two hands grabbed his shoulders and hurled him up. The vise grip he was currently being held in made him reevaluate his plan. His mind, however, refused to work when his eyes met with furious swirling pools of fire.

"Never just walk out on me like that ever again!" Balinor screamed as his heart rate eased down.

Merlin was gasping for breath as well. His heart hammered in his chest. He could not believe that he was experiencing part of Balinor's mixed emotions. The warlock soon managed to relax for the fire in Balinor's eyes had disappeared.

"Do you promise to let us talk this through?" Balinor asked.

Merlin merely nodded unable to form any words. His mind was still preoccupied with the conversation or lack thereof he and Balinor had previously shared. To Merlin's dismay Balinor had at first refused to believe him. Even after Merlin flared his magic and tried to convince Balinor that the connection they shared and their obvious similarities were too great to ignore, that still had not worked. In the end, just as Balinor was coming to terms with the idea of having a son, Merlin became fed up. He simply stormed out of the cave, deciding not to pay any more attention to Balinor or waste his time on a man who was technically his father, but had not acted like one since he had found out the truth.

* * *

Merlin was currently sitting by the fire with a fried fish in one hand. His eyes focused on the flames as they danced before him, effortlessly lulling him to sleep. However, tonight in particular Merlin was restless and it was clearly shown by his constant fidgeting. Balinor had tried to calm him down to no avail. The boy was beyond the point of turning back. His mind was boggled with far too many issues and unnecessary thoughts.

Part of him was worried that his time was running out. Another was preoccupied with the newly discovered forbidden attraction toward a certain black-haired vixen. And a third was busy replaying the conversations Merlin and Balinor had had until it reached boiling point.

A fireball was shot Balinor's way, making the man jump in the knick of time. The captain of 'Magic' whirled around only to come face to face with his attacker. Merlin was livid. Before his eyes there was nothing but white. His mind was long gone. Nothing that was said to him registered. No amount of convincing could do the trick. Balinor had to resort to brutal force.

With a clenched fist Balinor whispered an incantation which made his arm glow bright green. He waited for Merlin to rush toward him with a sword which was conjured up from the boy's energy, a feat Balinor had to give him credit for. However, now was no time for gawking or feeling proud. Now he had to deal with a different matter entirely – stop his own son.

"Merlin, I am giving you one last chance. Stop this madness!" Balinor screamed, but the boy paid him no heed.

The man sighed. He had no other choice but to dodge the few times Merlin aimed for his skin only to end up slicing air. Balinor grunted when Merlin managed to cut his cheek. However, soon, Merlin was sprawled on the floor, moaning uncontrollably from a gash across his stomach. Blood oozed from the wound slowly as his chest rose rapidly. Balinor panted, but did not run toward Merlin's side. He merely stood, watching the boy gasp for air. Soon Merlin managed to calm down and the gash began healing. Once the boy's heart had almost completely adopted its normal pace, the wound disappeared, leaving only a scar.

"What the hell was that for?!" Merlin yelled as he got up hastily. However, once his feet were firmly planted on the ground his vision blurred. His head started spinning. His feet gave out and soon he found himself flying toward the floor. Surprisingly, the impact never came. Instead Merlin's form was now secured in a tight semi-embrace. As the boy's mind began fogging, one strange thought crossed his mind – Balinor's hold was definitely not unpleasant.

* * *

The dripping of water woke Merlin up. His eyes opened slowly and it took him some time to get used to the strange lighting. Just when the thought passed through his mind, his groan died in his throat. Merlin bolted upward and was soon on his feet, palms acquiring one yellowish-orange glowing sphere each.

"Glad to see you are finally awake, Emrys." A deep voice whispered.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin. **

**A/N: I take it a lot of you enjoyed the cliffhanger. I hope what happened in this chapter was not too obvious. Also, I hope you guys liked it. **

**I want to thank you for reviewing, following, favouriting and reading. I wanted to mention something else as well. I am very grateful for the warm response the previous chapter received. Thank you all for your support. Please continue to be so in the future. **

**Until next time, **

_~ QueenofRhymes ~ _


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